Adventum
by cathfletcher1214
Summary: A Journey to a Land he has never visited is the least of Albus Potter's surprises when his father asks him to go to India for an Academic Conference. What he never expected was to be caught in a mystery, that threatens to unravel the peace of his world. Caught at crossroads, his journey takes him to places he had least expected, and to answers that will change his entire Destiny.
1. Chapter 1

The locked door that separated Albus potter from the rest of the world, was also, quite ironically, his only means to communicate with it. Today, he found himself staring at it with an equal amount of trepidation and resignation. Today, he thought scathingly the great James Sirius Potter, Quiddich Jock Extraordinaire, Captain of the Tutshil Tornadoes had decided to bestow the honour of an audience with him, the overly-intellectual-soon-to-be-dead-socially Albus Severus Potter. How could I be more grateful, he thought.

Getting out on the street, he rechecked all the locks and enchantments on the house. Although he lived in a muggle neighbourhood, it would be foolish not to be overly cautious. Being the second son of Harry and Ginerva Potter, godson of Ronald Weasley and Hermione Weasley-nee- Granger, and now the Brother of James Potter II, he had had more than a few close calls with people intent on pasting his picture on the front pages of the _Witch Weekly._ One of his most embarrassing moments was when he entered the men's lavatory which served as the apparition point to the Ministry, and was surrounded by a gaggle of girls who each, in his opinion had not more than a few brain cells each By the time each reached the Atrium, he looked more bedraggled than the beggar outside Madam Milkins's . To his horror , that was the day his father was having his 50th birthday, and nearly the entire wizarding population of Great Britain had arrived to pay their respects to the famous(or infamous) war hero, and they got to see his son looking like he had wrestled with a couple of dragons.

That one episode was always the first topic of discussion at every Weasley family dinner for the next 5 months, which, as always was held at The Burrow. Molly Weasley still bustled with energy, although after a nasty trip over one of the omnipresent garden gnomes, and had severely injured her leg. Even after being cured completely, she was never quite as right again. Although she still had the energy of her younger days, she looked older now, with more than a few wrinkles and gray hairs on her forehead. Albus was the most sorely affected after molly's accident, because, to him, His Gran was the most resilient woman (after his mum and Aunt Hermione) he had ever known.

Mulling over his thoughts, he reached his brother's apartment. He grimly begin to compare the opulent 3 –storey penthouse and his own simple yet cosy muggle country home. Despite being so different fundamentally, both James and Albus shared a good relationship, with Albus being James's go-to guy for any problems he ever had. Still , that did not stop James from pulling Albus's leg as seen by his reply to albus's knock, "Hey , Its Mr self-proclaimed-nerd"

"Sod off , James" said Albus, taking off his coat, and hanging it on the coat stand, where he could recognise his father's and mother's coats too.

"Aww, is it the time of the month?"

"Stuff it , James"

"Coz if it is, I can give you a back rub"

"Kiss my arse"

"Ohh, someone's PMSing"

"Shut it, James"

"He's right James. You really don't know when to stop, do you?"

"True James, Joke's gone stale"

James scowled as the fiery-haired Ginny and Lily potter II entered the room. Out of the three children only Lily had gotten the flaming locks of the Weasley family

"Hey, Lily; Hey, Mum", said Albus, kissing them each on their cheeks.

"You're late, we've been waiting for an hour-and-a-half" his mum said disapprovingly.

"Come on mum, lay off. We're late for dinner .Dad must be waiting" said Lily, fixing her hair while looking n the glass behind the door.

Ginny conceded and the four of them walked to James's spacious dining room where their father was sitting.

Even at the age of 68, Harry Potter still looked an exceptionally powerful wizard. His lean, yet tough build from his time as an Auror still looked tough, although it was gradually leading to a slight widening of the hips, due to a few extra Treacle Tarts. His sharp, angular face was marred by a few lines and wrinkles, but the things that had not changed were his almond-shaped, Emerald-green eyes that Albus had inherited. They still as sharp and striking as ever, ever observant due to his days on the run and as an Auror .

He rose to greet his Son, who shook hands with him, after acquiring about his health. James jokingly suggested that he was getting old, at which he got a quick smack from his mum. After shaking his head at his son's immaturity, Harry suggested that they all go and start with dinner.

After dinner, James and Lily went with their mother to visit their God brother Teddy, leaving Albus and His Father alone.

Albus and his father sat comfortably in James's sitting room, sipping wine and chatting about Lily's job as a intern of Mr. Ollivander(who surprisingly still hadn't retired), and Ginny's as the coach of the Harpies.

For Albus, it was a refreshing experience, because he felt that his father was one of the most patient listeners he had ever come across. He was also fascinated by the fact that despite being one of the most talented wizards to be born in England, he still was essentially a very humble person, and also a very intelligent one.

After some time, James, Lily and Ginny returned, and all of them decided it was time to go. They all stood up and walked to the door, when Harry called Albus to him

"Al, I want you to come and meet me in my office tomorrow. There is something important we have to discuss."

He frowned. Whenever his dad called him to his office, it usually meant something he wanted to have a very serious conversation "Is everything all right, Dad?"

Harry assured him everything was fine, but what he wanted to discuss was not something they could talk about in public.


	2. Chapter 2

It was 8 a.m. in the morning when Albus knocked on his father's office door.

Harry opened the door, let his son in, and locked it behind them, saying "What we have to discuss is private, and I would rather no one would listen in "

Albus sat down on the chair before his father's desk and asked "What is it, dad?"

Harry started "Today I have asked you to come because I have come across something I need your advice on?"

"What is it, Father?"

"WHAT do you know about the wizarding world outside of Europe?"

That was not was he had expected in the least "Um, I Know that the wizarding community in America is a bit more aggressive towards muggles than we are and..."

"I don't mean America, what do you know about the wizarding population of the Eastern Countries, the Oriental World"

"Well, I know that their ways of practicing magic is far different than us, also their government and hierarchy of magic is one of the most fundamental aspects f their society"

"The reason why I am asking you is that, I have received two letters recently from a prominent country of this region. What do you know of India?"

"That country is said to have some of the strangest magical practices in the world, if I have heard correctly"

"That doesn't even begin to cover it. A few years ago , I went to on an assignment to the place and there I was invited to have dinner in a native's home. There I saw that food and drink were being simply appearing out of thin air, and when I asked, they said that it was being conjured according to the diner's request, and it had not been prepared earlier, as there were no cooks in the place, despite the fact that there must have been enough food on that table to serve twenty, and that too , only if all of the eat as much as your uncle Ron"

"Impossible! Food is one of the five exceptions to..."  
"Gamp's law of elemental transfiguration, I know. But I can bet my wand that what I saw that day was no mere coincidence. There is something very interesting going on in that region magically speaking. Perhaps there is something different in the atmosphere, or perhaps Gamp's Laws simply do not apply there on account of something in their magical ancestry. Whatever it is, I am sure that the wizards of that country are far more powerful than us, not because of their superior skill, but because of their excessive knowledge on the origin of magic."

"I do not know if you know this, but India is not officially a part of the ICW, simply because the country refused to be a member, citing internal conflict as the reason. It was only after The War that they became members, albeit reluctantly."

"That's bollocks, as ICW helps in resolving any form of conflict in any given community, if approached to do so."

"Right, and yet they refused. However, a few days ago, Minister Shacklebolt received a letter from the King of Cashmere, a principality in northern India, and the most influential magical Leader in that region. He has invited all the countries to send any one eminent scholar or researcher from their country, to represent his or her country in an educational conference, which is scheduled to be held in Sreenagar,which will debate on all the aspects of magical society on earth. Kingsley spoke to me of this, and he wanted me to choose the person who will represent England in the conference. I gave him my word that I will do so."

"What do you want me to do, dad?"

"I want you to go and represent England in the conference."

Albus was struck speechless for a moment. At first he thought his father was joking, but when he realized that he was serious, he said "Me? But why, father? Why not Aunt Hermione, or Rose, or someone more well known?"

Harry simply replied "Al, you are I both know, why."

Al said "I still don't know. I'm not very qualified; I am only a practicing potioneer."

Harry smiled "My son, you are talking to the man who runs the most efficient spy network in Europe. Do you think I did not know about your work in the Department of Mysteries?"

Albus reeled, shocked at his father's revelation. Gamberworth had sworn he would keep his research a secret.

"Don't go about confronting Gamberworth; he was not the one who told me. But, now that we have broached the topic, tell me something, Al. Why did you never tell me? Did you think I would not approve? Or did you think I would forbid you from doing it?"

Albus did not answer."Al?"

"I... didnotwanttoalwaysbein yourshadow."

"What was that?"

"I did not want to be known as the Son of Harry Potter, Dad! All through my life, I have always been tagged only as your son. No matter what I did to step up to that pedestal you set, it was never enough. I will never be a talented athlete like mum and James; I will never have the easy nature of Rose, Lily, Roxanne and Fred. I will never be as popular and liked as Victorie, or Louis, or any of my cousins."

Harry sighed. He always had a soft spot for Albus, and he knew he faced these problems, but to see him speaking so freely about his trials made him feel sorry for his son, and at the same time convinced him that Albus was the person who could complete the task.

"When I graduated from Hogwarts, everyone expected me to be and Auror, or a Quiddich Player, or at least a healer. But, then I received the offer, and I knew that this was my chance to shine as me, Albus Severus potter, an individual, not as the son of Harry Potter. I did not want you to know, because, somehow I thought that you would try to assist me in some way or the other. I wanted to do this on my own, and it gave me an immense sense of satisfaction to achieve that. "

"My son, it is these traits of yours that makes you the person you are. You have always been one of the most humble, yet dignified people I have managed to know in my life. You're learning and true wisdom had always been one of the most endearing traits about you. I do not know if I have ever told you this, but there are only five people in this world to which I would trust my life with. One of them is you."

Albus was silent for a second. For his father to say such words about him was a truly humbling experience for him.

"There is another reason; Al. India is not like any other European country. Their grasp of magic and its use is far more diverse than what we know here. We need someone who is adept with the handling and use of magic. You are the only person who is qualified enough to do this. "

Albus was quiet Harry continued "So, Albus; what do you say? Will you be willing to undertake this assignment for me?"

Albus was silent for some time. He knew that his father was placing a huge responsibility on him.

After a moment he said, "I need some time to think about this, Dad. It is a big decision for me, and I cannot take it on a whim."

Harry smiled, and said "Take your time, son. I know the magnitude of the decision, and if you think that you need time to think about it, its fine with me. How about we meet again after a few days to discuss this again?"

Albus shrugged, "Fine with me." He then got up and left.

As he was walking down the corridor, he was mulling over his father's words. " _Do you think I did not know about your work in the Department of Mysteries?";.._ _Why did you never tell me?.. there are only five people in this world to which I would trust my life with. One of them is you."_

Albus Potter was not an impulsive person. He prided himself on being one of the most rational people he knew. Yet he felt that this task that his father gave him held deeper meaning than just a simple assignment. It was an honour for him that his father had chosen him for the task. He knew he would regret agreeing to the job, and yet he felt compelled to do it. Making up his mind, he sped up the staircase, almost knocking over two ancient looking magical maintenance officials, before bursting into his father's office "AL? What..."

"I'm in."


	3. Chapter 3

This is a bad idea, thought Albus Potter, A very bad idea. Somewhere in his mind, he knew he could simply say no to his dad, and run along home and continue with his life as if nothing had happened. Something told him, it was probably a lousy idea.

There he stood, wearing some of the most ridiculous dress robes he had ever seen in his life, holding a suitcase, carrying all his documents ,his research, and his clothing and accessories, and feeling as though he looked like an idiot, going to face a dragon without a wand(or a broom, he mused).

His father walked up to him, and said "Everything is ready, your portkey will arrive in 15 minutes and ... Al, what's the matter? You look like you are about to throw up."

Al looked up to him , and said, "Dad, I don't know if I can do this."

Harry smiled and looked into his eyes. He was his only child who had inherited his mother's eyes.

"Albus, whatever happens after today, I want you to know that I have always been and will always be proud to call you my son. You are a truly wise and trustworthy person. You have proven your worth to me many times. Let ask this of you once more. I know you will do whatever it takes to do well, and bring honour to your and my name. I'm proud of you, my son."

He hugs Albus tightly after this, and in an uncharacteristic gesture, kisses his forehead, as a means of blessing.

"Before you go, I want you to have these."

He hand Albus two packages, one of which contains a familiar silvery cloak, and the other a golden necklace with an amethyst in the shape of a diamond around its pendant.

"You're giving me the cloak?"he asked in disbelief.

"I daresay you may find it as useful as I did during my year on the run.", he said with a wink.  
"And, what is this, dad"

"It is a special necklace, designed as a communicating device. Whenever you find the need to communicate with anyone, all you have to do hold it in your palm saying _"_ _loqueris ad me_ "; followed by the full name of the person you wish to speak to, and it will open up a portal for you to communicate with that person, with the only condition being, he or she should not be incarcerated, and/or kept under protective surveillance, as that might defeat the purpose of communicating secretly. It will help you to reach me if you ever need my help."

"Thank you, dad." was all Albus could say.

"Now, off you go." Said Harry as his portkey, an old scroll of paper began to glow.

And the last thing Albus saw before he felt a sharp tug at this navel, was his father's smiling face.


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Albus woke to the noise of a tapping on the window on his bedside. Waking up, h saw that there was a bird on his window. However this was not an owl as he was used to, but rather a golden brown plumaged eagle. Albus thought "These people sure have their regalities sorted."

The eagle was almost the same size as an owl, but there were differences. Firstly, instead of the usual dark brown or hazel speckled eyes, this creature had strikingly blue eyes. Also, he wore a simple yet elegant looking collar made of some purple cloth. He had never seen an owl with a collar and it looked strange to him. Thirdly was the way in which the bird carried itself. Far from the proud bearing of an owl, it held itself with ease, yet looked deadly, like the bird of prey it truly was.

Albus called the bird to him and noticed that it had a scroll tied to its leg. Retrieving the scroll, Albus raised his hand to awkwardly pat the bird. He seemed to like it and leaned back into his touch, giving a soft hoot of pleasure.

Albus searched through his bag of something to give the bird. He found an owl treat and gave it to the bird, which seemed to like it and after finishing it off, nibbled his fingers appreciatively before soaring out of the window.

Albus opened the scroll after carefully breaking the seal. In it, he saw written in a stylized script,

 ** _My greetings to you, Mr. Potter_**

 ** _I take this opportunity to welcome you to our country and my home. I trust your journey from England had been pleasant. The journey from Jaisalmer to Sreenagar will take all of three days, but I am sure that you will not find your journey tedious. Your transport has been provided with all necessities, and should you need anything at all, please ask your escort Mansoor, for it will be a pleasure for him to serve you._**

 ** _I would also like to take this opportunity to give you a brief Introduction to the event you have come to attend. The Jashn-e-Ulema is a gathering of eminent scholars and artists from all over the world. It aims at diversifying magic and creating a friendly and erudite environment for mutual interchange. It is a humble effort from the Indian Magical Community to be more engaging and enthusiastic towards the developed of better international magic cooperation, and I personally believe that England could not have chosen a better Ambassador for itself. Your work is well known among the highest magical literary circles of the world, where it is being celebrated as some of the greatest work done by any modern scholar, and your presence has filled our hearts with immense joy. Your presence will elevate the standard of our humble endeavor to even greater glory._**

 ** _All in all, I would like to welcome you to our country. It is a great privilege for us to have you here and I hope that you will be able to reap all the benefits we have envisioned for us in the days in to come._**

 ** _Until we meet again,_**

 ** _His Royal Highness,_**

 ** _Maharajah Ranvijeet Singh._**

Below the letter, he saw the official seal of the Indian Magical Federation, along with the signature of the King.

Albus sat down and penned a short reply to the king, thanking him for his courtesy, and assuring him that his stay has so far been very comfortable.

After sealing the letter, he went down, where he saw that Mansoor was already up and about, bustling to get his breakfast ready.

"Good Morning Mr. Potter. I trust you slept well last night"  
"Quite well, Thank you, Mr. Ali."

"We shall be crossing over the famous fields of Punjab, Mr. Potter. By nightfall, we will have crossed the five rivers, and will be on the way to Ladakh, after which we will reach Sreenagar."

"I see. Is there anything else that might interest me?"

"Punjab is famously known as the Land of the Five Rivers. These rivers, the Jhelum, Sutlej, Ravi, Beas and the Chenab have watered the fields of Punjab for eons. The region is famous for its golden wheat and Mustard fields and is known as The Granary of India."

"Fascinating. Do these rivers hold any magical significance to India?  
"Oh yes, indeed. These rivers also hold a vast deposit of precious herbs like Asphodel, Chervil, Water Chestnut and one of the most important magical Herbs in Indian Healing Practices. Known as Manikah, or The Jewel Herb, it acts as a potent restorative agent in many Indian Healing Potions and salves. It is harvested from a type of fern that grows only in the base of the Sutlej River. It is greatly prized as an ingredient in restorative draughts and can be lethal in the improper doses."

Albus was intrigued "How is it harvested?"

"It can only be harvested on the nights of the full moon and on the New moon day. However, both of these have different properties. The full moon herb, called the Purnima Manikah, is more commonly new moon variety or as it is locally known, The Amawasya Manikah is not that easily found, as it is difficult to collect it. You see, it is destroyed if it comes in contact with Artificial Light, be it magical even in Nisakhi light forms like LED and Torches. Hence it is difficult to harvest. Also, it is generally found near the homes of water dwellers, who don't like to be disturbed when they rest and encounters always turn out to be very nasty indeed."

"Nisakhi?"

"The term used for non-magic people. I assume they are referred to as something else in your country"

"Yes, we call them Muggles"

That got him a weird look by the Indian man, who shook his head, muttering something to himself.

Leaving the Indian to his thoughts, Albus walked through the apartment, thinking about what he just heard. This jewel herb seemed to be something that was highly priced in the country.

His work as a magic researcher had made him come across many strange things. This certainly looked like one of them.

Moving to the study, he saw that there was a large bookshelf on the side. He walked up to it, saw a book on medicinal herbs, and began reading.

 _"Manikah or Manikya is the name given to the precious herb found in the depths of the Sutlej and Beas. Fused with amazing restorative properties, it has the amazing ability to restore even the most fatal of injuries. However, in large doses, it can cause Paralysis and even death_ "

Hmm... interesting. He thought this thing's properties resembled that of Wolfsbane, Incredibly useful for brewing potions for Werewolves, but simultaneously lethal to them as well.

He thought about his initial years as a Potioneer. His biggest success was creating a tastier and more effective variety of the Blood-Replenishing Potion. In fact, if it were not of his other interests, he would have surely found a calling as a healer, but many things happened, chiefly, Renelle.

He met her when they both had taken up Summer Internships at a popular Apothecary in Hogsmeade . She was his lab partner, and one of his closest companions. She was fun to be with, and knew about her stuff well. It was only for the fact that she died after an accident that still scarred Albus, both literally and figuratively.

 _"Could you please hand me the bottle of Ashwinder Dust, Al?"_

 _"Sure. However, would you like to tell me what on earth are you working on, Ms. Severus-snape-the-second?" he teased._

 _"Nah, and anyway, YOU are hardly in a position to talk, Mr. Albus Potter. When was the last time you went on a date?"_

 _"Touché, my friend." He agreed._

 _"Seriously, we're a fine pair, aren't we? At this rate, we'll both march our ways right into Bachelors for Life Anonymous, eh Al? Fancy the title of being Fair, Fat, and Forty?" she supplied with a grin as she continued to measure her ingredients while watching the simmering potion in the cauldron. Multitasking, he thought with a grin. Leave it to the women._

 _"I don't think we're over the hill yet, Nell. We're both barely in our twenties, and still dating has never been a priority for us, has it?"_

 _"Nope.", she said, chuckling heartily._

 _Al wasn't quite sure what happened after that. He turned around, was about to pick up a ladle when his world exploded._

 _He was thrown about 50 feet away, where stood he saw a pile of brown ash and the silhouette of what was once his best friend._

It still hurt him every time he thought of it. Renelle was in many ways his closest companion, and he felt responsible for her death. Even though, the fire, by no means was his mistake, but he still felt Guilty, as he felt that was him who supposed to die that day.

It was her death that made him join The Department of Mysteries. He wanted to know whether it was him or fate that caused her death, and even though he made peace with it, it still hurt, like an old wound that refused to heal, festering away.

Albus thought of his work at the ministry. His father was obviously very subtle and discreet, for he never for a second assumed that he was being watched Also, his work required a lot of solitary time, which he assumed was not completely solitary but he had expected that. He worked with ancient documents and manuscripts, and always expected that here would be someone around to help pick up the pieces if something went terribly wrong. In fact, Gamberworth told him that there was special security around the Atrium, as mishaps keep occurring"( _Mishaps my arse ",he snorted._ )

But nothing ever happened. Albus Potter was a wizard of great caliber, and in a few months managed to prove that he was no blundering fool, that he knew the implications of any errors, however marginal. He knew what his job entailed, it was what he had to do and people discovered that he was very good at it. This earned him the respect of his seniors, his peers, and his Boss, who always deferred from assigning him menial tasks, a great leap in his book.

Slowly, the sun set on another day, and as Albus made his way under his Covers, he thought _"One day gone only 29 to go.."_


	5. Chapter 5

The next morning, Albus woke to the noise of a tapping on the window on his bedside. Waking up, h saw that there was a bird on his window. However this was not an owl as he was used to, but rather a golden brown plumaged eagle. Albus thought "These people sure have their regalities sorted."

The eagle was almost the same size as an owl, but there were differences. Firstly, instead of the usual dark brown or hazel speckled eyes, this creature had strikingly blue eyes. Also, he wore a simple yet elegant looking collar made of some purple cloth. He had never seen an owl with a collar and it looked strange to him. Thirdly was the way in which the bird carried itself. Far from the proud bearing of an owl, it held itself with ease, yet looked deadly, like the bird of prey it truly was.

Albus called the bird to him and noticed that it had a scroll tied to its leg. Retrieving the scroll, Albus raised his hand to awkwardly pat the bird. He seemed to like it and leaned back into his touch, giving a soft hoot of pleasure.

Albus searched through his bag of something to give the bird. He found an owl treat and gave it to the bird, which seemed to like it and after finishing it off, nibbled his fingers appreciatively before soaring out of the window.

Albus opened the scroll after carefully breaking the seal. In it, he saw written in a stylized script,

 ** _My greetings to you, Mr. Potter_**

 ** _I take this opportunity to welcome you to our country and my home. I trust your journey from England had been pleasant. The journey from Jaisalmer to Sreenagar will take all of three days, but I am sure that you will not find your journey tedious. Your transport has been provided with all necessities, and should you need anything at all, please ask your escort Mansoor, for it will be a pleasure for him to serve you._**

 ** _I would also like to take this opportunity to give you a brief Introduction to the event you have come to attend. The Jashn-e-Ulema is a gathering of eminent scholars and artists from all over the world. It aims at diversifying magic and creating a friendly and erudite environment for mutual interchange. It is a humble effort from the Indian Magical Community to be more engaging and enthusiastic towards the developed of better international magic cooperation, and I personally believe that England could not have chosen a better Ambassador for itself. Your work is well known among the highest magical literary circles of the world, where it is being celebrated as some of the greatest work done by any modern scholar, and your presence has filled our hearts with immense joy. Your presence will elevate the standard of our humble endeavor to even greater glory._**

 ** _All in all, I would like to welcome you to our country. It is a great privilege for us to have you here and I hope that you will be able to reap all the benefits we have envisioned for us in the days in to come._**

 ** _Until we meet again,_**

 ** _His Royal Highness,_**

 _ **Maharajah Ranvijeet Singh.**_

Below the letter, he saw the official seal of the Indian Magical Federation, along with the signature of the King.

Albus sat down and penned a short reply to the king, thanking him for his courtesy, and assuring him that his stay has so far been very comfortable.

After sealing the letter, he went down, where he saw that Mansoor was already up and about, bustling to get his breakfast ready.

"Good Morning Mr. Potter. I trust you slept well last night"  
"Quite well, Thank you, Mr. Ali."

"We shall be crossing over the famous fields of Punjab, Mr. Potter. By nightfall, we will have crossed the five rivers, and will be on the way to Ladakh, after which we will reach Sreenagar."

"I see. Is there anything else that might interest me?"

"Punjab is famously known as the Land of the Five Rivers. These rivers, the Jhelum, Sutlej, Ravi, Beas and the Chenab have watered the fields of Punjab for eons. The region is famous for its golden wheat and Mustard fields and is known as The Granary of India."

"Fascinating. Do these rivers hold any magical significance to India?  
"Oh yes, indeed. These rivers also hold a vast deposit of precious herbs like Asphodel, Chervil, Water Chestnut and one of the most important magical Herbs in Indian Healing Practices. Known as Manikah, or The Jewel Herb, it acts as a potent restorative agent in many Indian Healing Potions and salves. It is harvested from a type of fern that grows only in the base of the Sutlej River. It is greatly prized as an ingredient in restorative draughts and can be lethal in the improper doses."

Albus was intrigued "How is it harvested?"

"It can only be harvested on the nights of the full moon and on the New moon day. However, both of these have different properties. The full moon herb, called the Purnima Manikah, is more commonly new moon variety or as it is locally known, The Amawasya Manikah is not that easily found, as it is difficult to collect it. You see, it is destroyed if it comes in contact with Artificial Light, be it magical even in Nisakhi light forms like LED and Torches. Hence it is difficult to harvest. Also, it is generally found near the homes of water dwellers, who don't like to be disturbed when they rest and encounters always turn out to be very nasty indeed."

"Nisakhi?"

"The term used for non-magic people. I assume they are referred to as something else in your country"

"Yes, we call them Muggles"

That got him a weird look by the Indian man, who shook his head, muttering something to himself.

Leaving the Indian to his thoughts, Albus walked through the apartment, thinking about what he just heard. This jewel herb seemed to be something that was highly priced in the country.

His work as a magic researcher had made him come across many strange things. This certainly looked like one of them.

Moving to the study, he saw that there was a large bookshelf on the side. He walked up to it, saw a book on medicinal herbs, and began reading.

 _"Manikah or Manikya is the name given to the precious herb found in the depths of the Sutlej and Beas. Fused with amazing restorative properties, it has the amazing ability to restore even the most fatal of injuries. However, in large doses, it can cause Paralysis and even death_ "

Hmm... interesting. He thought this thing's properties resembled that of Wolfsbane, Incredibly useful for brewing potions for Werewolves, but simultaneously lethal to them as well.

He thought about his initial years as a Potioneer. His biggest success was creating a painless and tastier variety of the Wolfsbane Potion. In fact, if it were not of his other interests, he would have surely found a true cure for the Lycanthropy problem, but many things happened, chiefly, Renelle.

He met her when they both had taken up Summer Internships at a popular Apothecary in Hogsmead . She was his lab partner, and one of his closest companions. She was fun to be with, and knew about her stuff well. It was only for the fact that she died after an accident that still scarred Albus, both literally and figuratively.

 _"Could you please hand me the bottle of Ashwinder Dust, Al?"_

 _"Sure. However, would you like to tell me what on earth are you working on, Ms. Severus-snape-the-second?" he teased._

 _"Nah, and anyway, YOU are hardly in a position to talk, Mr. Albus Potter. When was the last time you went on a date?"_

 _"Touché, my friend." He agreed._

 _"Seriously, we're a fine pair, aren't we? At this rate, we'll both march our ways right into Bachelors for Life Anonymous, eh Al? Fancy the title of being Fair, Fat, and Forty?" she supplied with a grin as she continued to measure her ingredients while watching the simmering potion in the cauldron. Multitasking, he thought with a grin. Leave it to the women._

 _"I don't think we're over the hill yet, Nell. We're both barely in our twenties, and still dating has never been a priority for us, has it?"_

 _"Nope.", she said, chuckling heartily._

 _Al wasn't quite sure what happened after that. He turned around, was about to pick up a ladle when his world exploded._

 _He was thrown about 50 feet away, where stood he saw a pile of brown ash and the silhouette of what was once his best friend._

It still hurt him every time he thought of it. Renelle was in many ways his closest companion, and he felt responsible for her death. Even though, the fire, by no means was his mistake, but he still felt Guilty, as he felt that was him who supposed to die that day.

It was her death that made him join The Department of Mysteries. He wanted to know whether it was him or fate that caused her death, and even though he made peace with it, it still hurt, like an old wound that refused to heal, festering away.

Albus thought of his work at the ministry. His father was obviously very subtle and discreet, for he never for a second assumed that he was being watched Also, his work required a lot of solitary time, which he assumed was not completely solitary but he had expected that. He worked with ancient documents and manuscripts, and always expected that here would be someone around to help pick up the pieces if something went terribly wrong. In fact, Gamberworth told him that there was special security around the Atrium, as mishaps keep occurring"( _Mishaps my arse ",he snorted._ )

But nothing ever happened. Albus Potter was a wizard of great caliber, and in a few months managed to prove that he was no blundering fool, that he knew the implications of any errors, however marginal. He knew what his job entailed, it was what he had to do and people discovered that he was very good at it. This earned him the respect of his seniors, his peers, and his Boss, who always deferred from assigning him menial tasks, a great leap in his book.

Slowly, the sun set on another day, and as Albus made his way under his Covers, he thought _"One day gone only 29 to go.."_


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Albus woke up to a bright sunny day. He rose and walked up to the window of his room, and to his surprise, saw a scenery that was completely different than what he had left last night. Gone were the vast fields, the flat landscape, and the wide rivers, replaced by lush green forests, rocky slopes and quick flowing streams. He could see tall mountains on the horizon, which was capped with white snow. He was mesmerized (How far did we come in one night?!)

Just then, he heard a knock on his door.

"Come in", He said.

" Good Morning Mr. Potter. I hope you slept well last night."

" Thank you, Mr. Ali, I did. "

"That is good. Please help yourself to some breakfast", he said, while laying down a tray laded with what looked like a scrumptious breakfast.

Albus gratefully took the tray from him, and laid it down on his bedside, while looking out of the window.

"Is something the matter, Mr. Potter?"

" Oh no. It is just that... How far have we come from yesterday?"

At the Indian's confused look, he explained " It is just that, the scenery has changed so much"

Comprehension dawned on his face, and he chuckled "No, Mr. Potter, I can assure you we are going the right way, and to answer your question, we must have traveled around 120 km since yesterday. This is just another example of how diverse this country is. Please, rest assured that I shall safely transport you to your destination. This is just a small example of how multifaceted this country can be. I can assure you that within a few hours we will be reaching the high mountains of the Himalayas, which is leagues away from the plains from where I received you yesterday."

Leaving Albus mystified, he turned around and walked out of the room, mumbling to himself.

True to his word, after 2 hours they had crossed the forest and had entered the valleys of the high mountains. Albus was awed by the majesty of these mountains. He was afraid to blink, lest he missed something important.

Beside him, his guide was continuously explaining the various features of the region ' That is a gorge, the deepest in the range', ' That is the Gangotri Glacier, the source of the Ganges, the holiest river in India, it holds a lot of spiritual importance for the Nisakt people', 'That is a Himanav track, it is commonly called a Yeti. Oh Yes, they exist, its just that they are magical beings, who do not take kindly to non-magical people staring at them. Only trained animal whisperers can properly communicate with them."

Just after that, they came across a narrow pass, which seemed to cut between the two peaks like a knife, and sliced its way almost ominously through the mountains.

Mansoor then looked up and said "This is our stop, Mr. Potter"

Albus looked uneasily at the tiny crack that was masquerading as a mountain pass. He looked at his guide, who smiled and walked up to the opening of the tent, which formed a gateway like structure. Rolling up his long sleeves, the Indian performed a complex hand movement, which Albus recognized as the basic wand movement for unlocking spells.

Just then, he heard a loud grinding noise, as though someone opened a door that had been kept shut for far too long. As he looked up; to his amazement, he saw that the two mountains started sliding away from each other, and create a pass wide enough for their carpet to go through.

Mansoor smiled, and waved his right arm. The pass widened further and they entered the gorge.

As they sped past, Albus noticed that the walls of the gorge were lined with some of the sharpest stones he had seen in his life. As he uneasily looked on, he saw what looked like an eye dangling from one of the rocks. Further, he could see what looked like the innards of someone on another rock and later a man hanging off a boulder by what looked like his intestines.

Noticing Albus's green face, Mansoor raised a comforting arm on his shoulder. " This is just a security measure, Mr. Potter. The fact is that our city is extremely wealthy and there are many who covet it. This is the only way by which we could keep intruders out. It is gruesome but necessary."

Wondering what was important enough that could condone disembowelment of people for its protection, Albus lost track of his surroundings and was thus truly startled by a bright light that appeared suddenly before them.

As soon as he regained his bearings, Albus looked around and was startled. Gone were jagged rocks and narrow path, which were replaced by tall houses, busy streets and smoking Chimneys. The roads were paved and looked clean enough to shine. The city was bustling with shops, offices, schools and all kinds of Activity. The landscape was dotted with lush green parks, with trees similar to those he saw on the foothills of the Himalayas. All the streets of the city were interconnected, gradually joining to form bigger roads, which in the end joined to form one huge street, which led to the royal palace.

The palace itself shocked Albus out of his wits. It was twice the size of Hogwarts, and was made entirely of what looked like White Marble, and was decorated with colored stones. The windows were paneled with Amber and Jade and were lined with Crystal. The tallest tower was three times the size of the astronomy tower and was crowed by the largest Sapphire Albus had seen in his life. The other towers were capped with Diamonds. The road leading to the Castle smoothed out and formed a mosaic pattern of colored stones leading to the largest set of Carved Doors Albus had seen in his life. It was made out of dark polished wood and depicted scenes of battle, along with events on daily life such as farming, hunting etc. To say Albus was shocked would be an Understatement

The Indian turned around, and for the second time in the day, threw out his arms, and said in a proud voice, "Welcome to Sreenager, Mr. Potter".


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

As they stepped down from the carpet, Albus was still struggling to find words to describe his emotions at the minute Slowly he regained his bearings. During this, He saw Mansoor wave his hand again and the carpet transformed into a handkerchief, which he tucked into his pocket.

"After you, Mr. Potter". Albus shook out of his reverie and began walking down the expansive mosaic styled walkway. The path was lined with large trees, possibly spruce, and were covered with tiny lights. As they walked, Albus saw a great many marble fountains that were dotted alongside the trees. Any other building would have been dwarfed by the sheer majesty of the scene around him. Any other, except for this one.

The palace seemed even larger up close, with a large gateway, enclosed with huge columns of Granite on either side. The gate was made of wood and metal, and had scenes carved on it, showing figures of various kinds, people, animals, dwarfs and many other strange creatures Albus couldn't recognise. The entire image would have been terrifying, if not for the stark brilliance with with which it was constructed, giving it an aura of almost otherworldy magnificence. Albus never thought he would be awed by the sight of a castle after seeing Hogwarts, but it seems that this one had taken the proverbial cake.

As they stepped in front of the gate, Albus felt a whooshing sensation, similar to that felt when a strong gust of wind swept through you. He realized this was the enchantments protecting the Castle.

Immediately after, the enormous gates swung open noiselessly, and revealed a vast expanse of courtyard inside. The space was dominated by a huge Marble fountain, flanked by two winged beasts on either side of it. He realised on a closer look that they were Hippogriffs.

Behind the fountain stood the actual Palace, a mammoth structure in white marble. The steps were marble two, and at the top, stood two figures. As they stepped closer, he saw that they were a man and a woman

The woman was of average height, with a matronly look about her. She was dressed in a dark green robe, that covered her fully to the toes. Her hair was covered by a brown headpiece, that was decorated with shells and mirrors. She had a kind face, one that reminded Albus of his Aunt Andromeda.

The man was taller, and looked imposing. He wore a dark tunic that fell to his knees, and black pants below. He too looked old, with a lined face grey hair. He had a long beard that came up to his chest, well maintained by the looks of it. He had a long sword strapped to his waist, and a crossbow tied to his back. Albus saw him and realised that this man is no bureaucrat.

As they reached the top, the woman stepped forward, and said, "Welcome to Dal Mahal, Mr. Potter. My name is Mrs. Lall, and I am the main supervisor of the palace. It is my responsibility to ensure that everyone who stays in the palcace is comfortable and has their every need met. It is an honour to have you here with us today."

Albus replied in kind, saying that it was an honour for him to be here as well. As he spoke, the man stepped forward, and gave out his hand "Mr. Potter, I am Abdul Saboor, the Head of Security in the palace. I have had the privilege of being aquaited with your father, and would like to say that he is a truly great man, and i am priveliged to know him. I would hope that our meetings in the future continue n the same regard".

Albus was somewhat surprised at the deep, kind voice that spoke to him. Considering his appearance, he had expected the man to be rather gruff He politely shook his hand, without knowing what to say to him.

Mrs. Lall, sensing his unease, came to his rescue, saying ,"I am sure Mr. Potter is delighted to meet you, but he needs his rest. After all, the journey was very long, and i am sure that he would like to rest."

Albus nodded, because he really was exhausted. The day had been long, and he did want to get some rest before he met with the King. Mrs. Lall then ushered him in, before which she instructed Mansoor to take his luggage to his chambers

As they walked, Albus had to restrain himself from openly gaping, because the palace was as magnificent on the inside as on the outside. Painted entirely in neutral colours, they served to make the space even larger than it was, which was huge in itself. The hallways were decked with ornate statues and paintings, dotted occationally by strange golden leaved plants, and picture windows, that gave breathtaking views of the garden outside

As they walked, Albus could not help but notice, that all the people were dressed in a certain manner. There were woman, dressed in a similar fashion to Mrs Lall, with Long Robes and headdresses. Others were dressed in short tunics and pantaloons, with their hair tied into a knot and covered with a cloth. Some were dressed in long flowy skirt like dresses, and wore distinctive women were also dressed like soldiers, with dark tunics and pants, and knives and swords strapped to their clothes

The men too, dressed differently, with some dressed in mitilary fashion, dark tunics and weapons, while some dressed in lighter tunics and turbans. Some men, who Albus assumed were the Labourers, wore no shirts, but only a pair of white loose fitting pantaloons with a red waistband. They also carred various other implements like shovels and sometimes pickaxes.

Mrs. Lall, on seeing Albus's interest, pointed out, "In our society, the person's status is decided by the work they do. Like the women in the robes are the nurses and housekeepers, and the ones with knotted hair are the servants. The men in turbans are the keepers of the palace and the ones in the dark clothes are the soldiers. The organisation is not specific, but flexible, depending on what the person wishes to do in their lifetime, or how their behaviour is."

"Behaviour? As in...?

"Behaviour as in their conduct in society. All the slaves and servants here have committed some crime or the other, ranging from petty theft to arson. In our society, we don't believe in prison, rather they are punished by pushing them to the lowest strata of service corresponds to the severity of their crime. Sometimes, they serve others for their whole lives for their sins."

"I see. But why do the people comply not to sound presumptuous, but a servant can escape easily and it is not impossible for someone disappear completely."

"That is because every servant is branded with a mark that stays with them during the entire duration of their sentence. It is a not a visible sign, rather a sort of magical stamp, and clock that is embedded in their magic that keeps till they serve ther penance. The magic does not punish one if they do not complete their sentence, but rather makes it a prominent part of their being. It makes them social outcastes. While the transformation does not harm them, the people who undergo them become social pariahs, and are never welcomed into society again"

"On the other hand, while serving their sentence, the person almost becomes anonymous. Their identity is obscured in that they become a common face, with nothing to distinguish them in a crowd. This allows them to serve their sentence in dignity, and at the end of it, walk away free individuals, with no stain on their conscience."

Albus though about her words. Instead of punishing people by imprisonment, they punish them by making them a cog in the system, with nothing more than social ostracization as a consequence. Albus admitted, it made sense.

Sometime later they reached a long hallway, lined with many corridors. The woman took a couple of turns, and reached a passage. The passage had a door, with the insignia of the Ministry of Magic. Mrs. Lall took his hand and laid it on a panel on the door. She then made a series of and movements, which unlocked the door.

Inside was a large chamber with a hall and two doors leading from it. The hall was painted in warm, neutral tones, and had a marble fireplace. The mantle had a mirror over it, which overlooked a large bookcase. There was a safa, with colourful throws o it. The two doors led to a bedroom and bathroom respectively, with the former having all of his things already set p.

After he toured his chambers, He went back to Mrs. Lall, who was starting a fire in the fireplace with some wood. On seeing him, she stood up, dusted herself off and walked up to him.

"I hope you find your quarters comfortable, Mr. Potter."

"Oh yes, Thank you"  
"That is good. Please do not hesitate to ask, should you find anything amiss."

Albus thanked her, and she then left the room, giving Albus time to look around his rooms. The bedroom was a large, expansive space, with a King-sized four-poster on one corner. The room also had a dresser, and a mirror, which faced a large window. The window was shut, covered with thick drapes.

The Bathroom was quite big, with a clawed bathtub in one end. There was a towel rack and a set of what looked like bath soaps beside the counter. A large mirror was mounted behind the basin, which reflected light, and made the place seem bigger than it actually was.

All in all, Albus thought that the accommodations were certainly to get used to. H undressed and lay down in bed, thinking of all the things he had seen during he day.

He could still in forget the gorge that passed them as they reached the city. The palace had captivated him ,and he promised himself that he would explore it tomorrow. The last thought he had before the drifted off to sleep, was of ' telling him about the servants and labourers.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

The next day, Albus awoke to a bright morning, due to the sun streaming in from the overhead window. He felt a little exhausted still, but woke himself up, and made his way to the bathroom.

He walked up to the basin, and glanced at his reflection. He saw himself, but a far different version than what he was used to. His dark hair, so similar to his father and brother, was even more floppy in the morning, in place of his usually well combed style. His eyes looked drawn and exhausted, similar to his skin, which looked even more pasty than usual. He stretched, and winced as he heard, rather than felt his joints crack loudly. The fact that he hadn't properly exercised in about a week, was more obvious than ever.

He quickly decided that a run was in order, and so quickly showered, and changed into a pair of loose pants and a shirt, and left off the robe. He left the room, and made his way towards where he remembered the grounds were yesterday. The early morning light, combined with the dew collected on the grounds, made the gardens even more beautiful than they seemed in the evening. He quickly found a path along the side, and began a slow jog up it.

As he ran, he felt himself getting more awake and alert. The morning breeze along with the smells of the fresh dew on the ground was doing wonders to his mood and stamina. As he began a northward trek, he saw that the path began to fork into two different directions, with one leading forward to the garden, and another leading to what looked like a hedge of ivy on the side.

Curious, he decided to follow the other path. As he slowly ran along the path, he realized that it was leading him towards the beak of the palace. As he reached the end, he suddenly stopped, realizing that why the path was hidden.

The area seemed to be a military training ground of some sort. One corner was roped off, with a raised ring in the middle. The area on the sides was covered with a variety of swords, long swords and broadswords and shields. The other end had a collection of javelins, with a high wall acting as a target.

One side was covered in knife throwing targets, with many studded with more types of daggers than he had ever seen in his life. The area seemed be covered with a sort of shield, presumably to stop the knives from flying off the throwing arena, and harming anyone else.

One the far end, there was an archery range, with several target set at various distances. A collection of bows, ranging from hunting bows to crossbows was there on a far of wall. The other wall held an assortment of arrows of various sizes.

Albus slowly made his way towards the fencing area. There was a collection of long swords that dominated the wall, with a fair number of broad ones as well. There were a fewer number of crossbows, which looked heavy and rather worse for wear. Albus remembered the last time he had seen a crossbow, when he had gone into the forest to harvest some monkshood, when he accidently incinerated his supply during Potions Class . Although the bow was, to a normal person, enormous, Hagrid had seemingly no problems in holding it and seemed as a seasoned hunter (However, considering that it was Hagrid, he wasn't surprised at the size. What surprised him was Hagrid's expertise in handling it. For someone so big, he sure was quick with his weapons.)

As he made his way forward, he caught sight of a number of smaller lighter swords. On further inspection, he saw a collection of lighter, smaller swords. But what really caught his eye lay on the exact end of the Armoury.

The thin lightweight sabres were forged in a light, silvery grey metal. Their handles were dark black, presumably Burnished tin or silver. The slight grips built into the handles indicted excellent making. He picked one of them up. They felt perfectly balanced on his practiced hands, with his hands immediately grasping to the similar weight.

Albus had taken fencing lessons with his father early in his fifth year, during break. It was one of Harry's cases, where the killer was not just a wizard, but was also skilled in hand-to-hand combat. Harry decided to take lessons from a muggle instructor in order to gain some perspective into the art.

Out of all his siblings, Albus was the only one who joined his father in the lessons. They proved to be excellent for their relationship, not just because of the time they spent together, but also because they helped each other become better, because they knew each other so well. Their knowledge and expertise in each other's skills made them excellent opponents. Training with Albus helped Harry gain perspective into the case, and later arrest the murderer.

Within two and a half months, Albus developed a lifelong love for the sport. His never really enjoyed Quiddich and soccer didn't do it for him either. Fencing gave him a new perspective on his life, and later, even when he returned for his sixth year, the love for the sport never left him. In fact, the reason for him discovering the Room of Requirement, was when during when a few weeks into term, he was frustrated on not having a place to practice The room provided him with not just muggle foils and sabres, but also real fencing swords, both straight and curved. The room also provided him with sparring partners in the form of animated statues. Over the next two years, Albus spent quite a bit of his free time in here, mastering his form.

After two years, when he had left Hogwarts, Albus had become quite the expert in the art. He could read his opponent, as well his conditions accurately. In a strange twist of events, Fencing had become therapy for him, similar what Quiddich was for James . But now, it had been nearly a year since he had picked up a sword.

Now, feeling the familiar weight press onto his arm, he could not resist. He picked up one of the smaller curved sabres, the ones he learned to use when trained alone in Hogwarts. He tried a couple of swings, and found the weight comfortable. He then walked up to the arena. Taking a deep breath, he started his familiar routine that he had developed over the years.

Every move, every jump, feint attack and flip was a perfectly synchronized dance in his mind. He let his mind shut down and let his body take over. The basic primal instinct of attack or defend took over. It seemed to him that the world had seized to exist for a couple of minutes.

After he was done, he put back the sabre, feeling the adrenaline surging through him. Nothing in life gave him a greater high than what he had just done. Fencing was like therapy to him, one he had missed for a long, long time. As made him way away from the arena, he looked over to the archery range. To his surprise, he saw someone in it.

It was a woman, by the looks of it. She looked tall, and was dressed in typical military fashion, black tunic and pants. She picked up a long bow, and made her way to the target

Albus knew that he shouldn't be looking, but curiosity got the better of him. He decided to stay back and watch her. She strung the bow up with an arrow and began to face a target. To his surprise, she handled her bow with her right hand, and shot the arrow with her left, which was unlike anything he had ever seen. He was sure she was Right-Handed,he had see her pick up the boow and arrow with her right hand, yet why was she using her left to position the arrow? She pulled the bowstring all the way upto her chin and released it with a loud crack.

The arrow whooshed through the air, landing smack in the bull's-eye. She then loaded another arrow, which landed again at the same spot, next to the first arrow. Another arrow, a third one, met the same fate.

Albus was dumbstruck. Never in his entire life had he seen such accuracy, and he had grown up in a family of Quiddich players. Then again, the mere sight of a left-handed archer was enough to blow his mind. Who was this woman?

A he stepped forward he heard a loud crunch. He looked down, and saw that he had stepped on a dead branch by accident. The sound had alerted the woman too, who had put her bow down, and was coming to investigate it.

Feeling that he wasn't supposed to have been there, he immediately ran towards the hedge, because he had no intention of her catching him spying on her. As he got out, his heart was pounding, not just because of his run, but because he was still awestruck by what he saw. Whoever she was, she had to be the best archer he had ever seen.

Deciding he had enough excitement for a morning, he walked back up, intending to go back to his room, and take a long bath, when a loud, soprano voice broke his reverie.

"Albus Severus Potter, bless my soul, is that really you?"

He turned around and immediately smiled because the person before him was someone he had known forever.

"Cela! Holy Merlin, it is you."

She had not changed a bit since he had last seen her. Cela or Cecille Vianne Delacour –LaRoux was the youngest daughter of Gabrielle Delacour – LaRoux, his Aunt Fleur's younger sister. They had first met in Teddy and Victoire's wedding, where, to his embarrassment and her amusement, their cousins had tried to set both of them up. Lily, apparently thought that Albus was becoming an "old curmudgeon well on his way to becoming a grouch" and decided that a relationship was the best way to fix this. One disastrous set-up date resulted in Cela's eyebrows being burned off(Courtesy of the Calming Drought Albus happened to be brewing) and Albus's best dress robes being dyed purple with neon yellow polka dots(because Cecille's1/8thVeela Magic ad gone out of control and decided that this was the best way to punish him. The cherry in the cake was that they i.e. James and lily had laced their drinks with Lust Potion, apparently hoping that this would help Albus "Do the dirty".

Unfortunately for them though, both Al and Cela caught on, and instead of being angry, simply put their heads together and created what was now called the Greatest Prank in The History of The Burrow. The results were so hilarious that George was willing to give Albus a share in the Wheezes, just for more ideas like that. Harry reckons that James still has the spots from the incident. An ultimate prank executed plus a complete enjoyment for each other's company had resulted in a lifelong friendship between them.

Now, after three years, he was truly chuffed to see her. She still had the same face, with the characteristic white blond hair and sapphire-blue eyes of her mother. The only indication that she had any part of her father in her was in the shape of her face, which, if on any other woman, would have looked unsightly. But Cela's features complemented her perfectly. The best part about all of it was that she still had the same mischievous glint in her eyes as the time when they dyed Lily's hair.

Her musical voice immediately cheered Albus up. Cela had an unlikely way of always making him smile, not just because of her attitude, but also because of her passionate nature. He knew of her work, and wasn't surprised that she was chosen to celebrate France in the conference.

Cecille's work on Blood Magic was one of the most important researches published in modern European history. Her study of ancient bloodlines combined with a unique mix of Genetics and Magical traces, helped her to predict the reason as to way Squibs were born without magic, and how to reverse this.

When she published her work, there was an immediate explosion of disbelief shut down quickly by successful trails of her method to help Squibs regain their magical ancestry. Everyone, from the French government, to the Ministry of Magic back home honoured her with many prestigious awards, even an Order of Merlin, Third Class. Cela however declined all of them, saying that she only worked for the love of her job, not for fame. Slowly, the offers died down, but her name alone was enough to cause frenzy in many social circles back home.

Despite all of the attention, Cela never changed. She was still the same fun-loving passionate person Al knew, and he knew that nothing would change that for her. It was why he loved her so

"When did you get here, Al?"

"Just yesterday. You? How long have you been here?"

"Oh, I've been here for almost a week. It is incredible here, isn't it? The place is so big, bigger than Beauxbatons too. It's enormous; I still haven't seen all of it."

"I know, it's pretty scary when you think about it. But I think it's going to be good"

"You just wait till the evening. The hall where we dine is gigantic, and everything is so beautiful and even the food is incredible. Really, I love this place. Could we move in, after this is done? I mean, I wouldn't mind spending the rest of my life here."

"I am sure something can be arranged for you. Perhaps, the post of a servant?" Albus said, with a wicked smirk.

"You rogue. I meant something along the lines of a countess, maybe a suitor to the prince, who knows."

"I know that, but let's face it, Cela, with your looks; you'll blend right in along with the servants."He said seriously, though immediately he began sniggering.

Cecile whacked him on the back of his head, which quickly sobered him. They continued down the path, bickering good-naturedly, slowly making way to their Chambers. Cecile bid him Goodbye, as her room was a couple of galleries away from his.

As he returned back to his room, he found Mrs Lall there, waiting for him

"Oh, Good Morning, Mrs. Lall, I did not expect to see you here. "

"Good Morning to you as well, Mr. Potter. I did not mean to startle you. I had simply come to deliver your breakfast, and was a little surprised to not find you here."

"Oh, I had just gone for a stroll through the garden."

"Of course. Forgive me for offending you."

"Oh, no; not at all, I..."

"Nevertheless, it was long of me to assume otherwise. I assure you it will not happen again."

Albus shrugged. He didn't know what to make of this lady, but assumed it was wise not to contradict her too much. He took off his boots, and sat down on the sofa in the room. He invited her to sit down as well, but she declined.

"No, Thank You, Mr. Potter. I must be off now; there are many chores I have to attend to. I only came to deliver your breakfast. Also, I do not know if I told you of this yesterday, but every night, our king insists on all the delegates of the conference to come together and mingle. It is a formal event, with a dinner. I hope you would grace the event with your presence."

Albus thanked her for the invite, and assured her that he would be there. She then bowed, and left the room.

The breakfast she had brought for him, turned out to be a full brunch, that Albus willingly indulged himself with. After eating enough so that he would burst if he had more, he put away his plates. He then walked up to the bathroom and drew up a warm bath. By the time he was done, it was almost late afternoon.

Albus thought that now would be a good time to call up his father, so he pulled out the crystal and spoke loudly to it,

" _loqueris ad me_ _,_ Harry James Potter."

The crystal began to glow, and slowly, a beam of light appeared, and his father's familiar face appeared before him. It was like using a floo, only without the fire

"Hi, Al. How's everything? Did you reach there safely? Are you comfortable?"

"Hi , Dad. And to answer your questions, yes, I reached safely and yes, I am comfortable."

"Thanks Merlin. I was hoping that you would be fine and not be uncomfortable in a new environment."

Albus rolled his eyes. Here he was, at thirty-two years of age, being asked by his father if he was scared of being alone. It made him feel kind of pathetic.

"Then again, this isn't your first time alone in a foreign country, is it, now?" Harry said with a mysterious smile.

Albus bristled. For some reason, he still wasn't ready to accept that his father knew about his research, and yet the way he kept mentioning it made him uneasy. It made him think as though whether he had been watched his whole life, or whether he really should have trusted Gamberworth to keep his trap shut.

"Oh well, forget it. Its not important. You tell me, how is everything there? What do you think the place is like?"

"It's….Strange, to say the least. I mean it is very different from what we are used to in England"

"Oh, Really? Well, and then tell me everything. The place, the customs, I wanna hear it all."

So Albus began the story. Starting from when he met Mansoor, and going all the way to seeing the castle for the first time. He told him about everything, and Harry eagerly listened, laughing and oohing and aahing at all the right places. He was rather disturbed when he heard about the gorge and was a fairly impressed at the servant system.

"It really is an efficient way of running a society. Instead of sending criminals to a place where they spend their days idle, they engage them in community service of sorts. It is quite a smart system, when you come to think of it."  
"I know, I thought the same too, when I heard of it."

"Good for you that you meet Cecille. You'll both give each other company."  
"Yeah, I hope "  
"Anyway, I see it is getting dark. You should get some rest now, because tomorrow will be a big day for you."  
"I wish. The King is hosting some kind of a dinner party, and all the delegates are expected to attend. Lucky me", he said with a grimace.

Harry laughed, because he knew of Albus's dislike for parties. "Well you better get to it there. Have a good time", he said, with a shit-eating grin on his face. Sometimes, Albus truly despised the man.

"Bye, Dad." He said with a scowl, and shut the portal, with the last image of his father's laughing face as his parting gift.

Albus saw the time. He saw that it was almost Dinner time. He then walked up to his closet, and began to remove his dress robes. By now, the girl he had seen at the shooting range was completely out of his mind.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

It took Al about fifteen minutes to decide what to wear, but he eventually decided on a pair of black slacks with a white dress shirt. He wore his formal robes over them, and tied on a silk cravat to complete the look.  
Once he reached the hallway, he gave himself a once over. Not exactly his best look, but it would have to do. He quickly put on his formal shoes, and put away everything else. He quickly locked up all of his belongings in the closet. As he stepped out to the hall, he saw his wand lying on the table beside the sofa.

He considered it. It had been a long time since he had ever left a place without his wand. This morning had been the first. The loss made him feel strangely vulnerable. The wand was an integral part of a wizard, and formed an important part of their personality. His wand was not exactly different, as he easily regarded it as one of his most important and prized possessions.  
His wand was quite simple, made of Cedar wood; around 11 inches long, it had a core of Phoenix Feather. He considered this to be another example as to how similar he was to his father. His was the only other Phoenix wand in the family. His mother's wand had a Unicorn core, while both James and Lily had Dragon Heartstring cores.

As he picked up his wand, he decided to take it with him. Even though he had not seen a single person who carried a wand since he came here, he didn't quite feel alright without it. Although he could perform Wand Less magic, he still felt incomplete without it. It was like an extension of his arm, that he felt uneasy without.

He tucked the wand into his sleeve, and made his way outside Cela's Chamber, because she was going to escort him to the Grand Hall, because no one had bothered to inform him of where it was supposed to be. Cela came out in a complete of minutes, looking stunning in a set of deep blue dress robes. She had let her hair down, pinned back simply with a diamond pin. She wore a set of small pearl earrings and a pendant with the Delacour family crest on it.

Albus approached her, and said with a grin,"You clean up well"

She simply tossed her head, and said dramatically, "I know."

He laughed, and offered his arm, which she took with a flourish, and they set off.  
As they walked, Albus began to observe many little things he had missed out when he first came. Firstly, he noticed that they were staying in the West Wing of the Palace. He also saw that the palace was built in a way so as to allow maximum amounts of natural light to enter it, what with the east facing windows. The most prominent he noticed was of the actual architecture of the Palace. Whoever had constructed it had obviously done a very good job, incorporating things like columns and arches, without making it look too overzealous. It looked elegant and polished, and at the same time, unassuming.

They reached the Grand Hall, and Albus was again speechless. The hall was huge, with nearly ten more arched entrances to it. The ceiling was curved, and was held up by beams. The floor was made of marble, and the walls were painted in a soft peach-like hue. There were a large number of round tables, with one table seating around six people. He could see that the party, or whatever it was, had already started. People were already there in large numbers, talking and laughing. There were servers walking around with platters of finger foods and drinks, at it appeared people were having a good time.

Cela led him to group of people standing near the picture window. It looked that there were around seven people, and seemed like all of them knew her, because one tall brown haired man suddenly rushed towards them, and said to her,

"Cela love, what took you so long, you know that my evenings without you here are a drudge."

"Oh hush, Andre, you idiot. You know enough than to try that on her by now. She isn't interested."This was spoken by a tall, olive skinned woman, with short cropped hair, and a rather exasperated expression.

"True, but no one ever gave Costaz points on intellect. How he's here, I have no idea."This was said by a woman, who looked as though she was of Scandinavian descent, with long blond hair, and blue eyes.

"Shut it, Mackenzie. You're a stick in the mud", shot back the first guy .

"And you are a pain in my butt", she said, drily.

Albus immediately began to relax. This seemed familiar, because he was secretly afraid that all the people he would be old, boring sods, who would have nothing more interesting to talk about than the importance of international magical relations. This lot looked alright.

Cela laughed, and dragged Al to the group, saying "Hello to you all too. I would like you all to meet my friend from England. This is Albus Severus Potter."  
"A Pleasure to meet you all."

The people around him began to immediately eye him, with expressions ranging from disbelief to Hero-Worship. The first person to snap out of their daze was the woman with the cropped hair, who regained her bearings, and extended her hand  
"Hello, Mr. Potter. It is an honor to meet you. My name is Carina Veratti. I am from Italy. I specialize in Arithmancy and Divination."

"Pleasure to meet you Miss Veratti. And please, call me Albus or Al. I am frankly tired of this Mr. Potter business." He said with a smile, hoping he would not offend her.

To his relief, the entire group laughed, and this immediately broke the tension between them.  
"Fine, if you will agree on calling me Carina."  
"Sure."

"Now, allow me to introduce you to the rest of us. This is Morag Dane. She's from Ireland"She pointed out to a short brunette standing next to her, who nodded at him and smiled.

"This is Andrew Scott, He's American." "Nice to meet you, man", he said with a grin, which Al returned.

"That there, Mr Casanova, is Andre Costaz. He's Mexican, and hits on anything in a skirt."  
"Hey!"  
"It's true Costaz, you'd flirt with anyone, and then their parents, and then, their grandparents."

"That is Marya Mackenzie, she's Polish, and has quite the mouth on her."

"See if I care, Veratti."  
"Cool it, Mars, have a go at me later. And that is Mikael Azarinov, he's Russian, and also, he's always high."  
"Am not. I am just a natural happy person."

"Sure, keep telling yourself that. And that's Cecille, as you already know."

Albus nodded his greetings to all. They seemed a fun bunch. Marya, as he saw, was verbally abusing Andre, who was trying to flirt with her. Carina looked hacked, while Morag and Cela were laughing. Andrew and Mikael were sniggering too, enjoying Andre's plight far too much.

They were fun, easy going folk, as Albus realized when he spoke to them. They were all respected experts in their field. Andre, who was something of a joker, was one of Europs's most esteemed Herbologists . Morag's research was in Wandless Magic and Mikael was one of the most respected Curse- Breakers in the world. Marya was a Potioneer, who also worked as a Magizoologist . Andrew was a researcher in Magical breeding, who had helped develop many new and resistant species of various species, like Bowtruckles.

But what piqued his curiosity most were Carina's specialties. She apparently had combined Arithmancy with Divination to create a very accurate model of mapping an individual's future. He was fascinated as she explained her model and it's working, and how it combined the elements of both disciplines.  
"What fascinates me the most is how did you manage to combine a completely subjective branch of Magic, with one that is so highly precise?"  
"Ah, but that is the thing. You see, Divination is often dismissed as a very imprecise art. It seems truly unbelievable that a set of Tarot Cards or Dregs of Tea could reveal somebody's future. However, the magic is not the cards or the leaves, but rather, comes from the seer who looks at a set of random cards and is able to divine meaning from it There is a reason why they say that Seers are born, not made. This is because not everyone can look into a seemly random object and claim that it can affect the future. True seers, however rare, are in fact blessed with more than just foresight into the future. They can see seemly ordinary things and decide how it would affect or lives. It makes sense to combine it with a disciple that deals with the very business of magical probability. The two disciplines are very similar, because both operate on the same thing, Probability. It is just that Divination operates on a more theoretical scale, than a mathematical one."  
Albus had never heard it put in quite that way.

The chatter in the hall suddenly quietened, as the Royal Family entered the hall. All the people, from the delegates to the workers, respectfully made a path for them, as they walked past the hall to the High Table.  
For Albus, this was a new experience. Never having see any of the before he was almost pleasantly surprised.

The king, Maharajah Ranvijit Singh, was an old man, with his face clearly betraying this fact . He had a calm, tranquil face, with a strong mouth, and deep-set eyes. Laugh lines betrayed his good humour, and yet, despite its age, it was a visage that inspired respect. He was dressed in deep green robes, and carried a short sceptre, which he used as a cane to help him walk. He wore a turban, which had a large sapphire set on it.

The queen was a short, petite lady, with long brown hair, which was collected on the back of the head in a knot. She had very soft features, soft brown eyes, and a rounded nose and mouth. She wore a long, red coloured robe over a pale pink coloured dress of some sort. She wore a headdress, which consisted of tiny diamonds woven into strings and tied across her head. She wore very minimal jewellery.

The other two members of the royal family were the princess and the prince. The Prince was a tall, strapping lad, who had strong sharp features, along with a set of unnaturally gray eyes, prominent even from a distance. He too wore green robes, though he wore a light shade than his father, and a turban, which had an emerald on it.  
The princess was a tall, willowy woman, who had the proud bearing that immediately revealed her high birth and upbringing. She was extraordinarily beautiful, with dark hair, and a fair complexion. Her face however revealed an almost imperceptible sense of mischief, with sharp, nearly impish features and a tiny mouth, presently stretched into a grin. Similar to her mother, she wore long robes, though hers were blue. She wore a similar headdress to her mother's, though hers was a little simpler and understated.

The King and his family reached the High Table where they turned around and faced them. It was apparent that they were beloved to everyone, as Albus could not sense even a shred of hostility in the people around him. This man was no Tyrant.

The King then looked at them and smiled. He then began to speak, and his loud booming voice resonated throughout the hall.  
"Welcome, to one and all present here today. I would like to extend my warmest welcome to all the esteemed guests who are here today. It is an honour and privilege for me to have you all here, in celebration of the spirit of knowledge and research. The Jashn-E-Ulema is the first opportunity India has ever had to host so many great minds. I would like to personally thank you all for coming here today."

The short speech was then greeted with a round of applause. Albus was truly impressed with the way the King spoke to all of them, treating them as equals, while ensuring that he doesn't try to show undue favour to anyone.

"Now, before anything further happens, we should all be seated at our tables. Please, take your seats all of you"  
A lond noise was heard as the various groups slowly started to make their way to the tables. Albus walked along with Cela's group, to a table near the Marble Windows. He found himself seated in between her and Mikael, who, he realized to his surprise, he actually really enjoyed being around.  
"Now before we proceed to the actual business, let us all partake in a meal. As the saying goes, First worship your body,only then will your worship your minds. So, please, I implore you, eat drink ad enjoy you time to the fullest. Let the festivities begin."

As he said this, magically, food appeared on their tables. But to his surprise, The food was not individually served, rather was a sort of community dish, with many platters, and only a small plate before him. When he asked Cela why this was so, She said that Indians believed that to eat from the same plate strengthens one's relationships with other people. Albus found it a bit unusual, but decided to refrain from commenting on it further.

The food was delicious. It was traditional Indian food, with slow-cooked beef stews and soft, fluffy baker's bread. There were platters of roasted lamb chops and beef ribs, which were cooked so perfectly that the meat was practically falling off the bone. There was a selection of fresh chopped vegetables and a sort of seasoned yogurt. There was a special rice dish that was flavoured with many spices, and had bits if meat cooked in it. According to Morag, it was called Yakhnee, and the dish was called Puleo, a sort of rice stew.

The desserts were even more varied, with a dish made of flavoured sweetened rice, a vermicelli pudding, fruit custard and an assortment of Indian Sweets he didn't know the name of, but sure were delicious. There were dry fruit snacks and cups of sweetened, milky tea being passed around and there was a huge piece of some sort of fruitcake on the table. He had no idea what it was, and considering that he was full to the bursting, he did not dare try what it was.

After they were all fed and watered, the king arose and began to speak.  
"Now that we are all full, it will now be easier for us to concentrate on the more important conversations. As I am sure you all know, the Jashn-e-Ulema is a conference based on the motto that knowledge grows only by sharing it. We, in India, consider this to be a very sound statement, because knowledge that is not shared is similar to a seed that is shut in a jar. We may nurture it as much as we wanted, but it will never grow into a tree."  
"Now, without further ado, I would like to call upon, Maharani Vaishishtha, under whose auspices, will the meet function."

As the King spoke, The Queen arose and walked up to the centre of the platform. Her dignity and strength made her seem like a woman who had seen and experienced a lot in her life.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. However, before I start, i would to request all of the guests, to conjure a set of red flames. These will be used to ignite the Amar Ratna Jyot, The Sacred Sceptre of Knowledge. This shall symbolize our peace and friendship, and also will allow for the auspicious ceremony to begin

The guests all began to conjure red flames. Albus too followed suit, though he, along with his European counterparts, conjured them using their wands. They all moved to the centre of the hall, where the Prince and the Princess stood. The princess stood before them, and conjured her own flames.  
"On my indication, I would like you all to direct the flames along the direction of mine. As they all merge, I and my brother will use them to light the sceptre."

They all nodded, and on her count, all sent their flames to join hers together. She immediately held them in one fiery sphere, and manoeuvred it towards the sceptre. Her brother then released his own flames and combined it with the others. Together, they lit the sceptre, which crackled and immediately began to burn with a steady Golden Yellow flame.  
The Queen then stepped forward with her own conjured flames, but unlike theirs', her flames were blue. She spoke a few words, in a language that sounded like Sanskrit, and released it. As the two flames met, there was an explosion of colours, after which the flame was no longer golden yellow. Instead, it burned in several different colours, and even though they were all different from each other, they were blended together to create a beautiful spectacle.

This caused an explosion of cheering in the hall, which Albus rightly understood as the Beginning of the Conclave. He cheered along, because he felt happy and excited at the prospect of learning new things, something he had made his life's mission to do.

Soon, they all returned to their seats, after which the Queen quickly talked them through the rigors of the event.  
"There shall first be a Debate on various topics that you all are knowledgeable in. Next there will be a meeting of all the people that represent a particular field. They shall be required to compose short introductions of all the works of the various people in the group. Thirdly, the best speaker, the one with the most significant research will be chosen to present their work to the entire assembly before us. Lastly, there is an event, that will be kept as secret until the last day, which is not compulsory for every person to participate in. However, there is a long way to go before that. For now, we will like to direct our attentions towards the main conference event. The first round shall begin tomorrow. So now, I would suggest that all of us retire so that we would be able to find ourselves fresh in the morning. So, I shall bid you farewell, until tomorrow morning. Sleep well, everyone."

As the queen stepped down, the people around him began to chatter, all no doubt discussing strategies or speculating about the mystery event. The same could be said about his own table, where they were all discussing as though what could the Event be.

"Maybe it's a Gobstones tournament."  
"Sure it is, Andre. Also, it also has exploding snap."  
"Really? That would be so awesome, I..."  
"Please be practical, Costaz. They haven't heard of Quiddich, what makes you think they would know what Gobstones are."  
"Point Taken."  
"Maybe it is a research event, to create something new. An instrument or tool perhaps.."  
"Could be. They have enough room to hold any kind of equipment."  
"Not Possible. For Branches like Divination, there can be no practical physical application."

And so they went on. Albus joined in for a while, then decided that it wasn't what was one his mind He thought he needed to go back and think about how was he going to present his work, without giving away more than necessary . He understood the gravity of the situation, and knew that he could not reveal too much of his work, lest it become dangerous.

Albus' last thoughts when he reached his room were that he needed a game plan of how to tackle the situation. He took off his fancy robes, and dressed in his simple pyjamas. He brought his parchments, the ones in which he was working on to the study. He pulled up a chair, and another parchment and a eagle-feather self –inking quill(a gift from Fred, which he didn't use or a very long time, suspecting it was a prank) and got to work.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

It was early morning when Albus left the desk. The work tired him because his notes were so exhaustive and detailed. If there as anything he had learnt from his Aunt Hermione, it was that keeping Records is the best way to keep any part of your work from getting lost. But the biggest disadvantage to this was that it made proofreading a tough job. Yet, he managed to get the job done. His work was the only thing that had kept him sane after he had lost Renelle.

Renelle was more than a colleague or a research partner for him. She was his dearest friend and his chief confidante. She was the only one who knew what did on those trips away from London, which he used to justify as going to collect ingredients for his laboratory. She knew the reason as to why he never took the chance to tell his family. Yet, she never stopped pushing him, always encouraging him to take his chances on letting his family know. Albus remembered with a pang, that one of the last conversations he had with her was on this very issue. It annoyed her to no end when he refused to discuss the topic.

"But Al, it's your life. Why should you bother about your image as Harry Potter son? That's not the only part of your existence. Your Dad is awesome, and he will never stop you or discourage you from doing what you want. Why are so against talking to them?"

"It's not about my Dad, Nell. It's about me. It's about how I want myself to be perceived, not just to the media, but also to my own family. They will never know why I ever chose to go down that path. They'll never understand. It is better for them to not know about this, not now and not later. This is something best kept between us."

For him, the hardest part was acknowledging that she was right. However, as much as he agreed with her, he could never bring himself to actually follow her advice. The reason why he never did it was that he was afraid that this would endanger his family's life even more, as it would make them even more prominent than they were now. The secret of his identity was not just to preserve himself, he did it also to protect his family. His first conditions to Edward Gamberworth, when he approached him to work for the Department of Mysteries, was complete anonymity. No one should ever know that this was Harry Potter's son was in the DoM. Gamberworth agreed immediately, not just because he understood Albus' helplessness, but also because he came from a similar background. His father was the brother of a Death Eater who once roamed the very halls in which he worked. He understood the prejudice that one might face from coming from a prominent family. The promise of anonymity was what had drawn Albus to DoM. And yet, now he was here, standing in a country he had never visited before, and knew practically nothing about. That fact that it was his Dad who had sent him here, was a bone-chilling prospect for him. He had his suspicions that he was being watched over, but still, never actually expected it to be true. He had always subconsciously thought that Harry would have kept a watch over his children to keep them safe. He just hoped that Harry didn't know the full extent of his work because it was truly staggering to think of the consequences it could have. He himself didn't understand all of it, and he had accepted that he probably never would.

The first time Albus discovered this was when he was just out of Hogwarts. It was the summer after his seventh year, and he had just graduated from Hogwarts. It had been just two weeks since he had ridden the boats back from the Great Lake and seen the castle as a student for the last time. It was then that his Aunt Luna had come to visit them, and told them about her latest discoveries.

 _Luna was a dear friend of Albus' Parents and was also the Godmother and one of the Namesakes' to Albus' Sister, Lily, whose given name was Lily Luna Potter. Though she was not their aunt by blood, all the Potter children adored her. Her stories of far off lands and those of exotic, beautiful creatures would keep them occupied for days._

 _Luna Scamander(nee Lovegood) was a Magizoologist who worked as a researcher who would hunt down some of the more obscure species on the planet. Her husband, Rolf was the grandson of the famed Magizoologist, Newt Scamander. Rolf shared his wife's passion for discovery and adventure. He met her on an expedition to Brazil, to study Augereys in their natural environment. The two immediately hit off and soon fell in love, and got married. Luna's many discoveries included the previously unknown Dukuwaqa and Heliopaths. She also discovered Nargles, tiny microscopic beings that were unnaturally attuned to negative and frazzled minds. This was a discovery which was hailed throughout England, as Nargles were previously considered to be Fiction. Luna was a kind woman, if slightly unorthodox in her ways. She always encouraged everyone, from her own children to Albus and his siblings that the only measure for your genius is your success, not what society perceives as normality. Despite her slightly eccentric behaviour, Albus was very fond of her, and aside from the ones in his family, she was one of his favourite woman in the world._

 _On that day, she was sitting in their living rooms, telling them about her recent assignment to track down a group of Nundu in East Africa, and her encounters with the people there. Albus was almost transfixed as she described the large nomadic societies and how they travelled to different regions almost every year to escape the harsh weather. What interested him the most was that almost all of their magic was entirely wandless._

 _The thing that caught his attention the most was what Luna had called the defining experience of their adventure. According to her, as they were travelling and tracking the herd, they actually saw a female give birth in front of them, and what they saw was nothing short of ordinary._

 _"The Nundu was no different looking than the others. In fact, if we had not seen her give birth, we would never have figured out that she was Pregnant. However, as we were walking, she suddenly set herself down and began to wheeze heavily. The other members of the pack immediately stopped, and then, instead of staying with her, began to spread out in different directions. We were puzzled at first, but hen realized they were doing it to protect the mother as she was giving body was, at the time, almost twisted with pain. She was breathing in huge gasps, and then, let out a loud, high pitched cry. It was unlike anything I had ever heard a Nundu make. Then, it happened. We saw a tiny little baby Nundu, right under the mother's body. Unlike the mother, instead of a dark coat, it had a light brown one. He had none of the characteristic spikes on its head, and its eyes were closed. It had a long snout, and if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have thought it was an Anteater. Then pack gathered around the newborn. They first sniffed it rather curiously, then, to our amazement they all began licking its face, and in doing so, they got its eyes to open. The mother, on the other hand, was in the corner, digging into the earth. On a closer look, we saw that she was burying something inside the hole. Then the herd stood up, and the mother hoisted the newborn on her neck, and they made their way back into the forest."_

 _"When we get down from the trees where we were hiding, we saw what she had buried in the hole. It was the afterbirth, from when the baby was born. We later assumed she did it to ward off any trace of their presence there."_

 _Albus was fascinated with the story. Luna had a way of presenting even the most inconceivable of things in a way that made it seem real. Later, as Luna was leaving, she called Albus to him, and said,_

 _"Al, I know that my travelling fascinates you, so I have a proposition for you. You see, this week, I will be going to Mexico, this time to track a group of Dugbog. They will be laying eggs in the season, and their eggs are very valuable for making Wolfsbane Potion. A group of Potioneers will also be travelling with us.  
_ _"Ok. And what does that have to do with me?"  
_ _"I am telling you because I know that everyone from your family goes on a trip after their seventh year. This year, it is your turn. I have spoken to your parents, and they are in agreement too. Now, I have to ask you and let me tell you, it's just an offer, and you can always refuse. It's entirely your choice."  
_ _"Refuse what?"  
_ _"Would you like to join me?"_

 _It was as though someone had pulled the ground from beneath his feet. He didn't know how to react._

 _"Come with you? To Mexico? I..."  
_ _"Darling, it's entirely up to you. I just asked because, well, I had always assumed that you enjoyed hearing about my travels. If you do not wish to go..."  
_ _"NO! it's not that, Aunt Lu, it's just.."_

 _Al considered it. He had always wanted to go to one of Luna's expeditions. He was always fascinated with her stories. But, now when actually given a chance, he found himself hesitating, but he didn't know why. Hew as a bit nervous, and he chalked it down to the excitement. He thought, fuck this, I'm gonna go._

 _"Are Mum and Dad okay with this?"  
_ _"Yes. I spoke to them as soon as I came. Your Dad was a Little nervous, but your mother calmed him down. I suspect, the Wrackspurts were toying with his mind. They are both in favour."_

 _Al laughed. Luna always had a way of making tense situations lighter._

 _He then thought about it and said"Alright, Auntie. I will join you. When do we leave ?"  
_ _Her face broke into a grin, and she said, "Splendid. We leave on the 4th, at Dawn. Your father has said that he will arrange a portkey for us. You will have to apparate to my home. Do you have your License?"_

 _He nodded. He had passed his test in his first attempt, something that ticked James off, as it took him three attempts to pass._

 _"Good. Then I will see you again on the 4th. You know where to meet us. Goodbye, Al. Don't let the Wrackspurts enter your mind. They can eat your thoughts you know."_

 _He laughed and wished her Goodbye too._

 _The next few days were filled with anticipation for Al. He had packed and repacked his small bag thrice, almost driving Ginny insane.  
_ _"For the love of Merlin, Al. It's seven days, five of which you will be spending in a tent. There is no need to carry so many clothes."_

 _Finally, the big day arrived, and Al, dressed, as Luna had asked him to, in Muggle Safari-style clothes, and India Rubber boots, stood in his hallway, embracing his mother. His dad gave him a quick hug, warning him to stay safe, and James, was, as usual, ribbing him. Lily was laughing too, but in the end, she caved in, and gave him a big bear hug, and told him to come back in one piece._

 _He rolled his eyes and walked out his porch. He then spun around, and in a flourish found himself looking at the familiar Rook-shaped Lovegood House. The Scamanders chose to live here, instead of their estate in Edinburgh, as it was easier to arrange Portkeys here. It was also because both Rolf and Luna loved it here, as it gave them a sense of freedom, that Edinburgh didn't have._

 _Al walked to the backyard, where many other people were also present. To his delight, he saw many famous Potioneers, including Claudia Mason, and Henry Daniels. Both were dressed similarly, though Claudia chose to wear Brown pants, instead of Camo ones. He walked up to them, and before he could say anything, he saw Luna rushing toward him, saying,_

 _"Oh, Al. Good, you're here. I was wondering where were you. The portkey leaves in ten minutes, and I thought I would have to go get you."  
_ _"No worries, Aunt Lu. I got here just fine."  
_ _"Oh, have you met Claudia and Henry. No, then allow me to introduce you. "_

 _She walked up to them and said"Claudia, Henry; could you spare me a second. I would like to introduce to you my Godson, Albus Severus Potter. Al, Claudia Mason and Henry Daniels"._

 _"Good to meet you, Mr Potter. I must say, you look very much like your father. "  
_ _"Oh, but that's not to say you have nothing of your mother. Your nose looks exactly like hers. By the way, did I mention, I am a huge fan. Could you please ask her for an Autograph?"  
_ _"Henry,lay off the poor lad. He hasn't come here to be hounded about his parents.  
_ _"No, but it can't hurt to try, now, can it?"  
_ _"You're incorrigible."  
_ _"And you're no fun."_

 _Albus laughed through the exchange. Both Henry and Claudia were well-known names, for their invention of a new improved version of the Wolfsbane Potion, that had a lesser number of known Side-Affects than any other known variety. Claudia had an average stature, neither too tall not too short. Her brown hair had been tied into a plait, and her pale skin was covered with freckles. She looked like his Aunt Audrey, only minus the glasses she wore. Henry, the other hand, was a short plump man, with a balding head. He had a ruddy face, with a pointy nose and beady eyes. He looked like a very Jolly Goblin._

 _Luna then told them, "The portkey is about to leave in a few minutes. We can talk later, but now we need to get near it."_

 _Al and the group walked up to the portkey, which was an old walking stick. They all held on to it and a minute later, It began to glow, and Albus felt a familiar tug in the navel sensation before he began spinning._

 _When he landed, he saw a that he was in a glen, with dark green moss covering the ground. There were tall trees surrounding the place, and they were laden with Ivy Curtains. There were some opening in them, which, Al presumed, led to the trails._

 _Luna turned to them and said. "This is where we will make camp. Rolf has already been here for a couple of hours and has surrounded the area with enchantments. However, it is prudent that we do not take any undue chances. So, I will be going around the glen, and check if there are any places where the spells have to been strengthened. I will be needing a few people to help me with this. The rest of us will stay here and set up camp. There are not many of us, only eighteen so there will be two to each tent. Please pick who you will share your tents with. Also, there will be no rendezvousing in tents. We have come here for research, not on a holiday."_

 _This elicited a round of laughter all around. Then a loud baritone sounded across the group, saying "Now where is the fun in that, Luna?"_

 _They all immediately turned to see Rolf Scamander walking towards us, with a few people(mostly men, Al noticed) shouting "here! here!"_

 _He was a tall, broad-shouldered man with a full head of blond hair, and a Rich Bronze Complexion. Rolf had mixed ancestry, with many races, including English, Irish, Central American, Indian and Ethiopian thrown into the mix. He had a round face, with a pointed nose, and a rather rounded chin, with a beaming mouth. He had astonishingly bright blue eyes, and overall had a very good-humoured expression about him._

 _Luna looked at him, and immediately rushed to him and gave him a hug. He responded by hugging her back and kissing her lightly on the forehead. Some people wolf-whistled, and others laughed._

 _Both Luna and Rolf took the good-humoured teasing well and walked back towards the group. Luna then said, "Alright now, let's get back to work. We don't want to be too late, or else the Curmads may come and distract us."_

 _"Right you are, dear. Now, we need a few people to come with us to check on the enchantments. Who is coming with us?"_

 _A few people volunteered, which included Claudia._

 _"Fine then, you all are coming with us. The rest of you lot can set up the tents. Someone can light a fire. It will get cold in the night, and unless we start the fire now, it will be difficult to get it started later."_

 _They all got to work. Henry volunteered to start the fire, and Albus being good with charms, offered to help him._

 _"Sure. Let's get this done, shall we?"_

 _Albus nodded, and they got to work. They began collecting a few dry twigs and began to arrange them in a pile. They both then cast Incendio, and it took a few tries before the fire caught on._

 _Al asked Henry, "Is lighting a fire safe? Aunt Luna told me that fires can attract wild animals"_

 _"True, but we are much greater in Number. Numbers mean safety. Also, the enchantments they will cast will also include a disillusionment charm. This will disguise any sign of a fire. Also, we will all freeze to death if we don't light a fire. I don't think you know this, but the temperatures change very drastically. It can drop to minus three or four very easily, especially in a cloudless night like this._

 _Al nodded because he understood what Henry said. It was getting dark and colder by the minute, and Al was suddenly very glad for the fire._

 _Within two hours the group had set up the tents, and Rolf and Luna's group had also returned. They all chose their tents, with Albus deciding to bunk with Henry. He seemed like a decent man, also he was very knowledgeable about all the things that usually happen with an academic expedition._

 _They all gathered around the fire to have supper, which was a bowl of rice and beef stew. They were all having fun, laughing and joking and telling stories of their own expeditions. Luna's stories, from when they tracked a group of Grindylow to the Black Sea to her recent Nundu adventure got many cheers from everyone._

 _Rolf then began to talk, and his expression was serious. "I know that hearing stories from others makes this seem like a very simple task. But, I assure you all, this is not child's' play. It is very dangerous for anyone, no matter how experienced a tracker, no one will be alone in the woods. So let me emphasize this very carefully, and Al; this is especially important for you, because you are new to these areas, and are relatively inexperienced with this. No one will ever venture out of camp alone. I repeat, no one. Not even for a second. Even if you need to relieve yourself, you will take someone else with you. And I want everyone to have one of these, and if anything goes wrong, you will able to signal us what has gone wrong."_

 _He then pulled out a small pouch, in which there were many small wristbands, made of hemp. They had a small black stone at their face, which also hid the clasp._

 _"The stone you see is enchanted with a Protean Charm. It will be activated when you rub on the stone five times with your thumb, and the others will begin to grow hot and will tell us of where the person is. Has everyone understood?"_

 _All of them nodded. Al understood why they all had to be connected, in the event of an emergency, they would all have the ability to contact each other. Numbers equal strength, he said to himself quietly._

 _"Now that we are done with that, I suggest you all get a good night's sleep. We will be waking up bright and early to start on the trail. Sleep well everyone, and don't let the Nargles get you."Luna said cheerfully._

 _They all said goodnight and made their way to the tent. Al went with Henry to the tent they had chosen, crawled up inside his sleeping bag, and dozed off._

* * *

 _Today was the Sixth Day in the woods, and everyone was in high spirits. They had found the nesting grounds on the second day itself and discovered several newborns. Claudia and Henry managed to sneak in one egg each, to Rolf's disapproval. They said that it was alright, as their mother had died already anyway._

 _"You sure about this, Mason?"_

 _"Absolutely. We found the corpse nearby. It would have been cruel to leave them there, Rolf. Even if they would have hatched, they would have starved to death. It's better this way."_

 _Rolf didn't look like he agreed, but let the subject drop._

 _As for Albus, he had a great time with the group. He learnt many things about hiking and animal watching. He learnt to set up watching stations in trees and how to approach nesting grounds safely. however, the most important thing he gained was the friendship of the group around him. Apart from Claudia and Henry, there were many other people he had become friendly with._

 _One of them was a tall, surf boy looking man from New Zealand. His name was Matt Denson, and he had a habit of calling everyone ' mate '. The other guy he became friends with was Noah Blyth. He was a charming Irishman, with a rich brogue colouring his words. He and Matt were subject to many crushes among the ladies back home, to his amusement._

 _The other person he became really good friends with was a young woman named Renee Campbell. She was Scottish and had gone to Hogwarts a few years before him. She was the Wizard Equivalent of a Marine Biologist, as she had been studying aquatic species ever since she had left Hogwarts. She and Al immediately hit off, as they were the closest in age, while all the others were nearly 26 or older._

 _Renee was easy-going, and a tomboy to boot. It was evident by her style, which consisted of close-cropped blond hair. She was short, with an athletic body, and long shirts and baggy pants. Her shoes were converse, which amused him to a great deal, because she otherwise claimed to hate Americans, calling them "Hapless Dobbers". She looked like a fairy, with her tiny features, and large eyes. Albus would have called her cute, but because he knew her in real life, and knew that she was anything but._

 _"A whirlwind is what you are, Re", he used to say._

 _And today was their last day in the forest. They had all packed up their tents, and Rolf sent a Patronus to the Brazilian Ministry, to ask for permission to set up a Portkey._

 _They all sat around the fire, laughing joking and exchanging addresses with the promise to write to each other. Rolf said it would be a while before they got a reply, so they decided to have a last farewell bonfire._

 _Al and Henry set up the fire, as after the first time, they became the fire-starters as Claudia named them._

 _"When ya start a job, ya finish it.", she said cheekily._

 _After the fire had begun to burn brightly, they began to skin the few pigeons they had managed to catch it the forest. As they began to roast the birds on the makeshift spits, Noah suddenly got up, saying he needed to take a leak._

 _"Talk about bad timing, mate. ", said Matt.  
_ _"And for that comment, you're my wingman, Denson. Get off your arse."  
_ _"You're a dick."  
_ _"Yes, and a wanker too. Not gonna help your case."_

 _Matt scowled but didn't say anything, as he followed them out of the tent.  
_ _Claudia rolled her eyes and said, "I'm gonna go check on these idiots. "_

 _It happened so fact that no one could figure out what had gone wrong. One moment they heard Claudia step out of the camp, the next they heard a loud, blood-curdling screech. As they rushed out what they saw horrified them._

 _Claudia was lying on the ground, with blood pouring out of her mouth. Her throat had a deep gash running through it. Matt was sprawled on the forest floor, unconscious and covered in blood as well._

 _They were all frozen with shock before Luna's urgent voice shook them out of their reverie._

 _"Quick, get them inside. No one will panic. Henry, vanish the blood trails. Somebody, look for Noah."_

 _A voice called out from the trees, someone Al identified as Jason walked up to the group, in his hands, a bloody shirt which Noah was wearing._

 _"he-he-he's not there. I checked. He's gone" Jason stammered out._

 _The implications sunk in. Before anybody could say anything else, Luna spoke up again, this time firm, with an edge of steel to her voice._

 _"Quiet. Now is not the time to panic. Henry, go behind the trees to vanish any traces. Jason, Miller and Alexa, follow him. Keep up your guard. And if you see anything at all that you don't recognize, run. Do Not Engage It. Am I clear?"_

 _They nodded and went ahead, wands drawn._

 _"The rest of you, bring them in. We need to see to their wounds."_

 _They picked both of them up, who were bleeding buckets of bright red blood. It looked like one of the goth-horror movies Al had once seen with his cousins._

 _Luna rushed in and called out to Mila, their resident healer. She was speechless for a second, they immediately got to work. The wounds looking like someone had run a huge claw through their bodies. The bleeding stopped in a few minutes, but they were pale and Matt looked blue._

 _"There is nothing else we can do for them. They are stable for now, but we need to get them to a Hospital."_

 _Luna nodded tersely. Jus then Rolf came running from outside, his expression furious._

 _"What in the name of Merlin just happened?"_

 _"We don't know. We found them outside like this. Noah is gone."_

 _Rolf was tense. Everyone around was afraid and then, Luna began to speak, in a calm, controlled tone._

 _"We can't apparate out. The magic here will prevent us from reaching our destination properly. And both of them are too weak to be travel by Portkey. So this is how it is going to happen."_

 _"We will split into three groups go towards the trails. If anyone finds Noah, they will send up Green Sparks. If they don't, they will spend up Blue sparks. If anyone senses danger, they signal the others. Mila, you will stay here with them. They are still weak, and cannot be left alone. Two of us will stay back to guard camp. We will search for no more than a mile, and if we do not find him, we will return to camp. No one will go beyond a mile. Am I Understood?"_

 _They all nodded. Then Luna turned to Al, and said,_

 _"Al, you and Renee will stay here and guard camp. Under no circumstances will you leave the glen. If anyone returns to you, they will identify themselves with the keyword ' Snidget'. Anyone who comes to camp, and does not speak the word, you will attack. Anyone, Even me. Clear?"_

 _Albus nodded, so did Renee. They knew that this was no time to argue._

 _Then Rolf turned to him and said, "My Patronus will return in thirty minutes. If it did not come back by then, send a Patronus to your father, informing him of what happened. Send one to your Uncle Ron and Aunt Hermione as well. They will know what to do."_

 _Albus nodded again. He drew his wand and went to Renee, who was looking equally determined._

 _"Right then, let's move, and remember, no one will move anywhere alone. You will move in a group and any sign of movement immediately cast stunners and run."_

 _The groups split and left quickly. Al and Renee took up position outside the camp. They were patrolling the entrances when they heard voices from inside the glen._

 _They rushed in an saw that Claudia was awake. Mila was rubbing her hands as they were slowly turning blue, and her eyes were bloodshot."_

 _"Talk to me, Claudia. What was it outside?"  
_ _"L..."  
_ _"Yes, go on"  
_ _"Le...Le..."  
_ _"Come on, you're almost there,love."  
_ _"Le...thi...follddd..."After which she passed out again._

 _Both Al and Renee looked at each other in horror. The Lethifold was a carnivorous and highly dangerous magical creature. It resembled a black shroud and had a taste for human flesh. They were vicious, and very few people had ever escaped a Lethifold alive._

 _Then they heard it. A loud, guttural moan outside. They looked at each other, then took their wands and advanced outside. They saw nothing outside, and no one either._

 _But then, he heard a shriek. Renee was lying on the ground, with a large shadow hovering over her. Her expression was frozen in a mask of terror. Al rushed to help her and began to cast a Patronus. Before he could do anything, however, he felt a tug, not at his navel, but at the scruff of his neck, and felt himself being pulled away.  
_ _When he landed, he found himself near a large pond. Noah and Renee were lying there. Noah's face was pale and drawn and he looked like he would not live for long. Then he saw it._

 _The Lethifold was a dark shadow of black swath. It had no face, and no legs either. It was gliding above the ground like a sheet on a peg._ _Albus immediately drew up his wand, but before he could do anything, the creature swept through him, knocking him down, and made him lose his wand in the process._

 _Seeing him unarmed, the thing rushed towards him. Albus put his arms around his face in terror, thinking it was over for his._

 _Then, it happened. A sudden bright light blinded him and startled the creature. When he opened his eyes, he was shocked._

 _There was a familiar white stallion near him, his Patronus, warding off the Lethifold. But that was not what had shocked him._

 _The Horse had not emerged from his wand, which was lying uselessly on the ground next to him. His hands were glowing silver, and there was actual light pouring out of them. To his shock, he realized that the Patronus, that was currently warding of the Lethifold, had not come from his wand, it had come from his own hand._

 _Albus was speechless. Never before had he seen something like this. He knew how difficult it was to conjure a Patronus even under normal circumstances. He had never heard of one being conjured wandlessly. And even when he had seen wandless magic, it had looked nothing like this. It looked as though the light was pouring out of his very palms, almost as though someone had lit a white fire under his skin._

 _The Lethifold slunk away, and Albus heard voices. Then he saw something else, something that shocked him right out of his senses._

 _The Patronus, instead of Disappearing into the air, began to shrink and contort, before turning into pure white light. The light then began to seep into his hands, absorbing it, until it was no more._

 _Albus fell to the ground in shock, unable to comprehend what just happened. He found his wand lying near him on the ground and picked it up._

 _The noises were revealed to be Rolf's search party, and when he saw Al, Renee and Noah immediately signaled Luna and the rest of them. He then instructed the others to pick up Renee and Noah and take them back to camp._

 _He turned to Albus. Harry and Ginny's second boy had always intrigued him, and now, when he saw the boy cast such a magnificent Patronus, he was filled with an overwhelming amount of respect for the young wizard._

 _Presently, he was frozen to the ground, his expression incoherent. Rolf carefully lifted him up, and spoke to him, "Al, are you all right?"_

 _Slowly, he nodded. Rolf said, "Was it a Lethifold?"_

 _Another small, imperceptible nod."_

 _"Did you cast the Patronus?"_

 _Al looked at him, with an expression that said, "What do you think, dumbass?"_

 _"Al, that was incredible. That was the most powerful Patronus I have ever seen ."_

 _No reaction from him. Probably still in shock, he thought._

 _"Can you tell me what happened?"_

 _Slowly, haltingly, he began to talk. He told him about Claudia, about the noise, and Renee being attacked and how they were somehow transported to this place._

 _"But how did you manage to find enough strength to cast the Patronus? Lethifolds are dangerous, how did you distract him long enough?"_

 _Albus thought for a minute. He did not understand what had just happened, and he did not wish to spook olf. What just happened, was something that had to remain a secret, at least until he understood himself what had occurred._

 _"I cast an Incendio, which distracted it. But it did not do much harm. It turned the thing away from me though. It began to charge towards Renee and Noah, and by then I was ready. I just thought about saving our lives and I saw my stallion. After that, I don't remember." He finished quietly_

 _Rolf was listening quietly all along. Before he could say anything, Luna came to them. She hugged both of them, her relief evident. Rolf filled her in on what had happened. She looked at Al gratefully, but came to her feet, saying._

 _"He needs to rest, Rolf. A lethifold attack is no joke. Thank Merlin that he did not get hurt. If something had happened to him, I would never have been able to forgive myself or face Ginny and Harry."_

 _Rolf nodded , and both of them put their arms around him, and slowly walked them back to camp. By now, all the people had returned to camp, and Renee, Claudia and Matt seemed a bit better. Noah, on the other hand, looked a lot worse._

 _By then, Mila had received the Patronus and had already turned an old rag into a Portkey, due to leave in minutes._

 _"Right, so I think we are all back. Mila, you and 5 others will go back with this portkey. You will have to take those three with you. Henry, you and the others will take the second Portkey. Noah will come with us. Al, you too. We will be going by Thestral."_

 _They nodded within five minutes, they had all departed. Rolf called the Thestrals to him. ( Albus could see them because he had seen his pet crup, Moony die at the age of 8.) They strapped the stretcher with Noah on it to one Thestral, and Luna jumped on it too, to stabilise the weight. Rolf and Albus climbed on the other. With a large swoosh of their wings, they set off._

 _It took them about an hour to reach the city. Ginny and Harry were nearly hysterical with relief. They held on to him and began sobbing. Ginny went up to Luna and began screaming at her for putting her son in danger. After five minutes however, she broke down and began sobbing in her arms, thanking her for saving Al's life._

 _Luna was standing there and most uncharacteristically, began sobbing too. The two women held each for a minute, while Harry was profusely thanking Rolf as well_

 _"No, it is I who has to thank you. It was your son who saved our lives, with his Patronus."And then he began to tell him what happened. Al stood silently throughout the exchange, and did not say a word, not until the next day when he flooded back to London with his parents did he talk again._

 _His parents were equal parts shocked and proud when Rolf had told him the story. They had never expected Al to do anything like that._

 _For Albus, though, the experience changed his life. He began to try to repeat it, tried to retrace his steps, but could never succeed, until about two years ago._

Albus was interrupted by his musings by a loud rap on his door He opened it, and saw that it was Cela. She said that it was time for the debates to start and that everyone was looking for him. Albus said he would be out in a minute, and put away his notes, and picked up the parchment he had been working on the previous night. He splashed water on his face, changed into formal robes, and put on the necklace with the Amethyst pendant He picked up his wand, glanced around his room to see if he needed anything else, and stepped out.

Outside, he saw her, looking rather vexed, for which he apologized. He then took her arm, and they set off for the grand hall. Let the Debating begin.


	11. Author's Note

_Author's Note_. 

Hi everyone, this is Cath. I am so happy that all of you took the time to read my story. To anyone who has been following it from the beginning, i am extremely sorry for the long hiatus in between. For new readers, welcome. This story is going to be very long, and i will try to post one chapter a day everyday religiously. If i fail, do bombard my PM with messages. They'll motivate me. Just kidding :D :D.

The next one(if you have read the last two chapters) will have a time gap of 5 days again. This is because the events in between do not advance the story in any way. The next chapter will pick off five days after the events of the previous chapters. Nothing much has happened, save a few boring debates(no one wants to see that). So the next chapter will be the showing the final presentations, and will finally reveal the surprise that was spoken about in the 8th chapter.

That's all from my side. Please do take the time to review my story. I accept constructive criticisms. And if anyone has any suggestions, my PM box is always open ;).

Peace out,  
Happy reading:).


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

It had been nearly three days since Albus had gotten a full night's sleep. His days had been occupied with Debates and Discourses, and his nights had been filled with studying or compiling papers. He had never expected that it was so much work, simply to attend a conference. His respect for his Aunt Hermione, and Uncle Percy increased manifold, and he vowed never to tease him ever again. They did this nearly every day of their lives, and Albus was exhausted with after merely a week.

However, despite all of his grumblings, Albus was truly enjoying his time here. The relentless academic debate and discussions with others over topics that he was passionate about filled him with an unexpected sense of accomplishment. He enjoyed every minute of the time he spent with the people here, and found people who had amazing, fantastic stories about themselves and their lives. Their stories of how they made their own discoveries in various Magical fields fascinated him to no end. To Albus, the thing that he felt this was the most important gift he had received from this Event. All the new people he had met and the friendships he had forged with all of them, is what made him feel that there was one of the most fulfilling few days of his life.

However, the thing that was taking up most of his attention was the Final Presentation. Among his group of friends, only Cela and Carina had been chosen to present their work to the entire Assembly. To his surprise, there were more than a hundred and fifty delegates attending the Conference. This made the actual scope of the event far greater than Albus had expected. The various Scholars and researchers were all eminent members of the Magical Community, and they were accountable to not only themselves, but to their own country and cultures as well. The prospect was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

It was nearly evening, and all the delegates, along with various other guests and members of the Royal household, all gathered in the Grand Hall to listen to the final Presentations. According to what Cela had told him, there were going to be Twelve Delegates presenting their research. Each of them had been given 15 minutes to display their work, and they would be allowed to use any form of equipment to aid them in their task. They would all be allowed to have one person to assist them, and that could be any person, so long as they do not harm that person in any way. And lastly, none of them would be allowed to recreate any experiment that they have done that required special, or controlled conditions. This was done to ensure that no one's safety and efficiency were compromised.

The hall had been set up differently on each day of the debated. Today, it had taken the form of a large oval chamber. There was a raised platform on which the speaker was supposed to stand and speak.  
The opposite end was covered in large, raised tables distributed along five levels. The tables were made to look like a lecture hall, and everyone had their own places allotted to them Albus discovered, to his delight, that he was seated in one of the rows directly parallel to the platform. He had next to him Marya on the left and on the right was a tall Middle-Eastern man who had come from Turkey. His name was Farooq Asad, and currently was chatting with Albus politely about his country and their practices.

In a few moments, the hall quietened down, as the King and the rest of the royal family entered the hall. All the people stood up in respect. The King nodded to them gratefully, before asking them to take their seats.

The twelve delegates who had been chose to speak were seated across the stage, in their order of their turns. Albus looked at the table, and saw Carina seated. She was nervous, evident by her feet, which she kept crossing and uncrossing. He saw that she was going to be the 8th person to speak. Cela was a couple of chairs after her, as she was to speak at the 11th turn. She too was nervous, as she was constantly scratching her chin, and fidgeting.

The first one to speak was a Black man, whose name was Ekele Omenma. He was from South Africa, and his research was on Herbology. He spoke about how Gravity Resistance in Plants can be used to demonstrate weightlessness in many other aspects of Geological Research. He showed them all apiece of rock, which, he said had been growing in a region of trees, which were Gravity-Resistant.

The next person was a tall, dark skinned lady from Egypt. She was wearing a Headscarf that blended beautifully with her long, regency style robes. Her research was about Alchemy, and its importance as a science in a world that considered it defunct. Her speech was captivating, and so was her research, which was based on conversion of various substances to other, more sustainable forms.

There were many other people who spoke, such as Sheila Seinfeld; the German girl whose work was on Magical breeding of Dragons, Casey Style; a Canadian man whose research on perfecting a recipe of Felix Felices gave him many laughs at the pictures that he used as evidence, and Dewei Cheng; a Chinese Man who had studied Ancient Chinese texts to create an anti-ageing charm, that could reverse temporary organ damage, a spell that could possibly provide a safer avenue for healers, who would otherwise have to procure and formulate many separate types of potions and charms. The applause for that one lasted for a very long time.

Finally, it was Carina's turn. It was apparent that she was nervous. Her hands were shaking as she made her way up the podium. She was tightly clutching a set of notes in her hands, as was muttering something under her breath. She walked up to the podium, set her notes down, and put her wand to her throat, and casted a Sonorous charm.

She then began to talk," Hello everyone and I hope that you all are having a good day. My name is Carina Veratti, and I come from Italy. I am 30 years and am single. I don't think that was a very relevant point, yet just put that across. Sorry."

At this statement, nearly everyone in the hall burst out laughing. This calmed her down, and she continued in a much more controlled voice than before,  
"My research is intimately connected to the disciples of Arithmancy and Divination, but before I begin, I would like to ask all of a question. How many of you have ever dreamt of seeing their futures?"  
Nearly half the hall put up their hands in unison. She grinned, and said, "Excellent, now here is another, How many of you believe you cannot accurately Divine your future, or believe that Divination is a Science that is illogical, or not to be taken seriously?"

About a quarter of the hall put up their hands. She smiled and said, "I do not think that I will be able to convince any of you to change your minds completely. However, if I manage to shake the skepticism of even a few of the people sitting in this gathering today during my time, I will consider it to be a success. You see, in my line of work, we cannot deal in absolute terms, in precise figures, in black or white. But then, that in itself is the beauty of Divination. It is an art that is as accurate as it is vague, as blurry as it is precise. No one, not even the most revered Seer in the world can claim to make a prediction that is absolute, stone cold fact. But then, how can we predict something that can unravel from a single choice? Futures can collapse, destinies can change, and fortunes can be altered, all in the process of making a single decision. Fate cannot be controlled, because it has never been captured. When we seek to tamper with the natural course of things, we find it will drastically change the state of our own lives. But then, that is the power of the intrigue. We are pulled towards it, drawn by its tantalizing danger, and also by its awesome power. Similar to a moth being drawn by a candle, we can scarcely resist the pull of it. "

Albus listened, rapt with attention. He knew what she meant. Men and women were all drawn to things they couldn't have, because the prospect of luring the forbidden was too strong for mere mortals to resist.

"Divination is an art that spans over the feeble amount of control we can claim to have over the future. It allows us to have a semblance of authority over what is inevitable. The beauty of Divination, however, is not in its imprecision. It lies in the patterns that can be seen in seemly unconnected things, coincidences that would have been dismissed had it not been for the person who could see the connections beneath. The web of a person's life is intricately weaved, entwined and crossed with the paths of many. It is in the skill of the observer to deduce how those intricate links can determine a person's destiny. This is why, the probability of chances is a very probable thing to consider, which is where the magic of the numbers come into play. To skillfully combine them into a coherent map, with the paths as roads and the numbers as markers has been the goal of many people before me. Today, I stand here, not to say that I have succeeded, but to ask of you to open your minds, and to believe, if only for the next five minutes, that it is possible to see your future here, as of how you stand today."

Excited murmurs filled the hall. Carina had not just opened their minds, but had also thrown them a gauntlet, challenging them.  
"Today, I have been requested to show you all, what the future could hold for one of you. I have been asked to choose as to whose past and future. There are a hundred and fifty seven of you here today, and I would like to call upon one of my dear friends to come and reveal her story for us. So, without further ado, please allow me to welcome, Marya Mackenzie."

Marya had risen quietly, amid a round of applause and walked up to the stage. Albus clapped for her albeit slowly. He had no idea as to what Carina had in mind, and for some reason, despite Marya's caustic exterior, felt she was terrified as to what was about to happen.  
She slowly walked up to the raised platform, and disappeared behind a large white curtain placed on it. This had been placed to protect the worker's privacy, and to maintain any secrecy which they wanted for their presentations.

In a few minutes, the entire hall went dark, and a large white circle appeared on the wall before them. It was coming from a large crystal ball kept on the table. Apart from the ball, there were charts, and metallic sun-dial like structures. Marya was seated on a chair before Carina, who was saying something to her. It had to be something funny, for after a few moments, Marya cracked a tiny grin, and looked a lot less clammy than before.

Carina asked her to place her hands on the table, and then the room went quiet. He could not make out, due to the distance and the dark, what was she doing. Then suddenly, the white circle flickered, ad images began t form.  
It was a beautiful thing to see. The memories displayed were not mere pictures, but looked so real. The tall, red-cheeked girl who, as time passed, began to grow into a serious, if not stoic young woman. To see his life being put on display would have made Albus feel vulnerable. He could not get over Marya's courage.

Then there was a subtle change on the wall. The memories, instead of being vivid and suffused with color, began to look vague and distorted. The clear lines were giving way to the present, then to the future. He could see her standing in the middle of a crowd, cheering someone on, and to his surprise saw Carina and Cela there too. A Quiddich match perhaps?  
Then he saw a large hall, but he could not make out as to how it looked like. He saw the outline of a gloved hand reached forward, and accepting a glass of some kind of drink. Then the vision changed slightly, with the place being a different room from the hall, but he saw the same hand, ungloved this time, but before anything else could take place, the floor before it was covered in bright , shocking red. The hand quickly darted towards the floor, but before it could reach it, the vision ended.

The hall came back into focus, with the lights coming on. The room was again filled will people, instead of being just him, as Albus had thought. He looked down, and Carina was quickly dismantling her equipment. Marya was quiet and looked stony, set in rigid lines. He had never seen her show any vulnerability so it did not surprise him. However, she was shaken, evident by her tighter than usual stance.

Carina quickly cleared the stage, and escorted Marya from the stage. The next speaker took the stage, and began droning on about Transfiguration of some sort.

Albus however, could not shake the incident from his head. He paid no attention to any of the speakers left, not even Cela, who had captivated the audience with her voice and enigmatic presence. They had seemingly forgotten about Marya, and were enjoying the rest of the evening. Albus thought he could have seemingly ignored it like the rest of them. He knew Marya was a Potions Master, and that line of work, he knew from personal experience was messy. But for some reason, he couldn't get that image of the red out of his mind. For him, it looked uncomfortably familiar, and not in a good way. The splatter reminded him of fresh blood, the kind Noah and Renee were soaked in, all those years ago. It seemed like a lifetime now. He was uncomfortably aware that this was the second time in a week he had thought about that incident.

In his brooding, Albus hadn't realized that the last speaker, an African-American woman had finished her presentation. Everyone was clapping and cheering, and for the first time since Albus had come to this place, he didn't feel like joining along.

Then the queen stood up and began to walk up the stage. At the same minute he heard a rustling sound next to him, and saw that Marya had come back. She looked better now, with her trademark bored expression fixed firmed on her face, and when he looked at her, she clearly gave a drop-it-or-I'll-end-you stare. Albus liked his bits and dignity intact, so he dropped the subject, but not forgetting all about it.

The queen walked up the podium and faced them. Her quiet countenance brought everyone's attention . She was the kind of person who could command respect even without trying, similar to her husband. She reminded him of Professor McGonagall.

She spoke in the same calm tone he heard a week before. "Thank you all for excellent words. Your work and your successes are unparalleled and both posterity and time will remember your contributions to society. The flame of knowledge, once lit can never be extinguished, for it then becomes a guiding beam for many who follow the same path. Every one of you seated here has made contributions to the Magical Population, in ways that cannot be measured in words. But still, I would like all of you to thank you all for all of the things you have done."  
This was followed by an explosion of cheering. It was humbling to see the queen thank each of the, and it was incredibly generous of her to do it.

Then she spoke again, "Now, it is time for the reveal the Event that I had spoken about earlier. But before I reveal what it is, I would like to call upon Abdul Saboor, the Head of Security here at Dal Mahal."

He saw the man walking towards the stage, followed by a large covered object which was being wheeled behind him. However, there was no one doing the wheeling, as it was simply following him on its own.

He reached the stand, and with a wave of his hand removed the cloth covering the thing. Albus was taken aback, but not with disgust, but with awe.

It was a statue of a two hippogriffs, with their front legs reared up in the air There was a woman riding one, and she wielded a long sword in her hand. A man was riding the other and he was holding a Crossbow. Behind the two steeds, was a huge golden disk with flames emerging from it, seeing which he realized it was the sun.

The Queen smiled at the awestruck audience, and said, "This is the flag of our army, the one our kingdom commands. It is one of the largest and strongest in the region. The soldiers however do not have much opportunity to go to battle. The generals, in order to keep the troops battle ready, organised a tournament every five years. It is a chance for them to display their skills with weapons, both magical and non-magical. A tournament where everyone, even someone who isn't a part of the army is invited to come to participate and compete at the games. This year is lucky one, for we are hosting not just the games, but also are having a major landmark to cross. This year, we will be hosting the 20th tournament, and also the 100th anniversary of the year when the games were started."

The hall filled with chatter, and did not stop for at least five minutes. To her credit, the Queen was not offended, but simply waited for them to quieten again.

"The games were started by our Ancestors in honor of the Goddess Kali. She is a legendary figure of Indian Mythology, similar to Goddess Athena. The games are a way to connect with her spirit and sacrifices, and games are also marked by a festival in her honor."

The people around started to murmur again. Albus however was silent. He now understood the purpose of the training grounds her saw that day. For some reason, instead of indifference, he felt a stirring sense of excitement, similar to what he felt before a Quiddich Match. The promise of a show, with close enough proximity to understand it was real.

"They will begin tomorrow at dawn. The games are divided into several events, including Magical Dueling, but also Archery, Sword-fighting and Badava racing. The games will be held on the grounds of the castle. Everyone is requested to attend the games, for it is a very important local tradition."  
"Also, anyone who wishes to participate in any event is more than welcome. This is an event where everyone is encouraged to participate. We would be honored if any one of you chooses to grace us with a display of your supreme skills."

With this, she turned and left the podium. The hall erupted into a flurry of chatter. Albus however had no intention of being a part of it. He stood and briskly walked back to his chambers

A weapons' display. Whatever he had thought the event would be, it had not been this. "This will be interesting", he thought, with a wry smile.

As he reached his room, and got ready for bed, he thought about the queen's formal invitation for delegates to participate Albus knew he had no intention of participating, but wondered if any one among his friends would. Cela, he knew, wouldn't try for dueling, as she was a pacifist of sorts. Carina and Morag, he didn't think they would, either. Among the others, Mikael and Andre could, if they were interested.

The last thought he had before going to sleep was of wizard's duels, sword-fights, and of the twang of a bowstring, as it released its arrow to find the target.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

 _Moonlight streamed on the floor, bathing the white floors in Silver. Lights flickered. Curtains flapped. It was a light airy breeze that followed him, where he was going. His line of vision was much limited, concentrated only to a small area near the ground. The quiet was enclosing his, and then he heard a shriek, one that chilled his blood._

 _His walked up to the noise, then he saw, a white gloved hand, making its way across the room, to a pool of blood, slowly spreading across the room, coming towards him..._

Albus awoke with a start, shaking and shivering, though his body felt as though he had walked though a furnace. His brow was drenched with sweat, and he felt out of sorts. It was a nightmare, only a nightmare. And yet, he couldn't find any solace in the fact. Getting off the bed, he pulled on his nightgown and slippers, and went to the Bathroom. On lighting the candles, he saw himself, pale and clammy, eyes bloodshot, face marred with the imprint of the bed linens. His hair was even more disheveled than usual, with parts of it sticking out as though he had been electrocuted.

He splashed water on his face, trying to calm himself down. It's only a dream, he said to himself. A stupid, silly nightmare. It doesn't mean anything, not to me, not to anyone else. It's only a coincidence that it happened today. And despite all this, he couldn't convince himself, not after what he had seen today, at the Presentation.

Despite his skepticism, Albus could not but agree that Carina's vision wasn't made up. It was real, as real as the Prophecy that made his father the man he was today. Albus knew true Seers were rare, and now, he had no doubt that Carina Veratti was one, which was what made the situation more terrifying. The vision made him feel anxious, in more ways than one. He couldn't shake off the feeling that something very drastic was about to happen, and he wasn't sure whether it was going to end well.

He walked up to the large picture window. He had discovered after a couple of days that it led to a small balcony outside his room, which overlooked the grounds of the castle. It had a couple of Wicker chairs, and a coffee table in the corner. He walked up to the edge, and leaned on the railing, his breathing shallow. It was not dawn yet. From what he could see, it was still the middle of the night, and the entire castle was asleep. It was disconcerting, as he was used to some or the other noise in the halls. The trademark steps of the people walking down the corridors, or the Gardeners tending to the bushes, and sometimes someone strolling on the walkways. But now, it was quiet; almost eerily so. The stillness put him on the edge. He felt nervous; as though this was the first time he actually understood the magnitude of the Castle.

Then he felt, rather than heard something. His instincts told him that someone was there in the grounds. He craned his neck, trying to see who it was, but the tall trees near the hedges obstructed his view. Frustrated, he walked back, and then he saw the ledge. His room were on the top floor of the Castle, and there was a ledge shading the entrance to the balcony. Above the ledge was a railing, beyond which he assumed was the terrace. He contemplated it, berating himself for even considering this in the first place. He was on foreign ground, representing his country and his ministry. His father had trusted him with this. And yet, it was from him he had gotten his subtle rebellious streak. He assumed it was part of the package, being born of the Potter-Weasley family. Recklessness was in his blood.

Throwing caution to the winds, he looked around again, in case anyone was watching. Then he swiftly ran up to the ledge and jumped. He caught on to the edge and hoisted himself up. Thanking his good genes for his height, and James for dragging him to the gym despite his grumblings and protests, he clambered up the roof, and quickly swung a leg over the railing. As he found his feet, he stopped for a minute to gather his bearings. Then he looked around, and what he saw took away his breath.

Before him was a spectacular panorama of the grounds. He could see the entrance gates, the castle walls, the gardens on the other side of the castle. As he walked a little further, he saw the long pathway lined by fountains, which were still working at night, and to his surprise, were lit and looked almost pearl-like in their radiance. On further investigation, he found a hedge maze and the Military Training Ground he had seen on his first day.

He walked over to the edge to look closely, and he saw who it was in the garden. It was someone in the archery range, and the sound was them collecting arrows, as they seemed to be scattered over on the ground. The targets were set exactly the way they were on that day .The person was stringing up a bow, but Albus couldn't see what kind. He looked closer, and saw them position an arrow on the drawstring.

Then he saw it. The arrow, in the darkness, began to glow a faint green, and the head became a blinding white. The archer however was not disturbed; rather they took aim, and released the arrow.

It landed on the target, a perfect bull's-eye. Then, the centre began to glow, and in a flash, the light began to spread outward, in a circular pattern, before it covered the entire target. The archer walked up the target, and took out a dagger. They then struck it, and the thud that emerged was so loud, that it reached even Albus's ears. He realized that the target had been turned to stone. It was still glowing when the archer reached it. As they reached down, the light caught the back of their head, revealing a long braid that emerged from their crown.

Albus nearly toppled over the railing. As he recovered, he heard a noise. Someone was coming up, and he wasn't supposed to be here. Scrambling over the railing, he lowered himself to the ledge and then carefully to the floor. He rushed inside, quickly but quietly bolting the door behind.

By the time his heart rate became normal, and he realized that no one was coming to look for him He sank into the chair next to the fireplace. One thing he was certain of. The archer he saw was the same woman he saw on the first day on those very training grounds.

* * *

Morning arrived, and Albus had somehow managed to fall into an uneasy slumber. The nightmare, coupled with what he saw on the grounds jarred him. He woke up and went to the bathroom. He looked no better than last night, with the only obvious improvement being that he no longer looked clammy.

He dressed himself, and made his way out of the rooms for the Breakfast hall. To his delight he found that his rooms were very close to Mikael's. Marya and Andre were on the next corridor. They had made it a practice to go downstairs together.

When they reached the halls, they saw that it was larger than they had ever seen it be. The number of tables and chairs had doubled in number, with their occupants being even more than that. They spotted Cela, Morag and Andrew on their usual table, and made their way there.

"Glad you could join us, flobberworms. The queen came by an hour ago, to make announcements for the games."  
"What, anything interesting?"  
"Yes. She said that any person cannot take part in more than one set, with only one sport to choose. There are seven in total, Swords-play, Lance-Fighting, Whip-Beating, Archery, an Obstacle course, Hand-to-Hand Combat, and Badava racing. Anyone can compete in any sport, with the only condition being, that you pass the Qualifying tests chosen by the game masters. The games will happen over a period of 12 days, and each day will have 3 games. The finals will all be held on one day, and the entire city comes to see them. "

The table went silent, their expressions varied. The three men were silent, contemplating. Morag and Cela looked excited, while Marya was, as always thinking.

"So, what do you think?Are any of you up of the challenge?"  
" I'm not sure,Cela. I mean how many of us have ever seen something like this before."  
"Ah well, Im competin'. I'll put me name in for swords-play", said Morag.

Albus looked to her in surprise."You know how to use a sword?"

"Aye. Me ol' Papa taught me. said 'tiz a worthy skill ter learn, an' everyone Muggle or witch shud 'ill benefit from it. Never foun' an opportunity ter use 'is instruction. It looks like it'll be useful to-day."

Albus shrugged, more than a little surprised. Tiny Morag, wielding a sword. It was a funny thought, but not an unusual one. He knew people of a lighter build had a much greater chance of being exceptional swordsmen (or women, he thought) than people would think. Their small size allowed them agility, and speed was one of the most essential skills needed to become a good Swordsman.

"Andrew, mate?"  
"Naw, I think I'll pass. I'm a cheerer, not a player."  
"Marya?"  
"Sure, if they want bloodshed on their hands. I have two left feet, Potter, and the day I wield a hammer is the day iron turns to gold."  
"Point taken."  
"I'll take part. I have given my name for Badava Racing."This was from Cela. Albus was shocked. Cela was the last person he expected to take part, then he heard the word racing.  
"Wait, what racing?"  
"Badava Racing. It's a sport where riders ride this animal called a Badava, and they have to cross an aerial obstacle course, and their times are recorded. The one with the least time will be the winner."

"So, it is like a Steeplechase."Albus knew about Steeplechases, as he had gone to one with his family when he was a child  
"In a way, yes; If a steeplechase was conducted nearly 70 feet above the ground.  
"70 feet! What in the name of Merlin are these things?"  
Cela gave them a very small smirk, and said, "You'll see."

* * *

They all reached the grounds, which had been converted into an arena of sorts. The stands were filled with people, and there was all manner of heckling, gambling and betting going on. The course was constructed , with the various obstacles, like metallic spheres and disks, large torches, and spiked wire meshes, all suspended in the air. There were holdings on the extreme end of the course, which Albus assumed, held the beasts. He could not, for the life of him, fathom what the beasts looked like. For a course this big, they had to be huge, and powerful.

There was a loud blast from one end of the arena. They saw the doors opening , and the beasts came out. Well, he now knew what they were.

The beasts were hippogriffs, but not normal sized ones. The largest hippogriffs he had seen in Hogwarts were no taller than 10 feet. But these beasts were huge, standing at nearly twice their size. Their wings were enormous, and spread, looked wide enough to span Albus's entire body. They were all a Steel-Grey, with piercing, unblinking green eyes. They were all covered with a specific colour, indicating the colours of their riders. Cela had told him her colour were green. He saw her on the one on the exact opposite side of the long line of riders.

Albus was terrified at the size of these things. They looked ferocious, powerful enough to kill, and proud enough to die trying. To see Cela clutching the reins, sitting so calmly on the thing, made Albus nervous. But then he remembered, and suddenly began to laugh

Albus had forgotten that Cela had gone to Beauxbatons, where the only means of transport were huge winged stallions. He had seen one with his own eyes. He was not proud to admit that he almost fainted when it came near him, something that Lily ribbed him for every chance she got.  
Albus was relieved. These things looked dangerous, but they were no match for the stallions Cela must have tamed back home. If she could survive that, he was sure she could definitely survive this.

"Mercy Lewis! What in the name of all that is magical is that thing?"  
"That, Andrew; is a Hippogriff. Bigger than what we are used to, but a hippogriff nonetheless."

The racers gathered before the King and made a customary gesture of respect. The king bowed to them in return and signaled for them to take their places. The riders moved to the starting line, and began to form a single queue, in order of the turns.

Just then, Albus heard a commotion. He looked down and saw some people yelling at a woman and her child, in their own tongue.

"Be gone, whore."  
"You are not welcome here."  
"Get your bastard out of here."  
"Vile creature!"

Albus was shocked. He had never heard any one speak to a woman like that, and it angered him that these men were hurling abuses at this mother and her child. She looked up, and Albus was startled. She had the most beautiful face he had ever seen in his life. She was fair, with strong brows, and a sharp nose. Her mouth was perfectly formed as well, and her hair was covered with a tattered headscarf. The child too, was beautiful. Sharp features and an angular profile, like her mother's, she clutched to her mother's frayed sleeve, eyes filled with tears. The woman was embarrassed, hurt and at that very moment, a man came running to them. He was incredibly handsome, similar to his wife. All three of them had the same stale gray eyes.

"Get your whore away from here."  
"Oh, leave her be. Come darling, let me seat you here, on my lap, where you deserve."  
"You too, stranger. I'll give you more than your fill to look at," This was from a woman, a few rows away.  
The man looked over to the people, and without a word of protest, simply took his wife and daughter's hands, and led them out. The girl was sniffling the entire way back, and he picked her up, and hoisted her on his waist, while making his way out of the arena.

Albus was disgusted. The family looked perfectly respectable, if a little poor. He could not understand why they were treated like that. He heard a name "Kindav", from the people. Then, there was a loud gunshot, and the first racer had taken over the arena.

They were riding in red, and were flying along the obstacles. The metallic disks and loops all a sudden began to move, and the rider jerked their reins, and narrowly avoided them. the torch began to smoke, and suddenly, a huge lick of flame leapt out; the rider narrowly avoided being singed by quickly turning the beast around. He flew over the spikes and the nets, landing at the end.

There was a roar of applause all around. He saw what was so appealing about this sport the adrenaline and the danger were rubbing off the crowd, who were getting rowdier by the second. Coins were being exchanged, as times were being calculated.

Cela's turn was the 8th, and she took her Badava to the starting line. When the shot went off, the beast leapt, and before he knew it, they was in the air . Her animal was extremely well trained by the looks of it, as Cela had no problem controlling him. She maneuvered him around the spheres, and to everyone's surprise, instead of avoiding the disc, leapt through it, as though it was a crowd went wild, but she was focused. She reached the torch and swerved gracefully,her path a wide arc around the she approached the other obstacles, large pointed spikes began to shoot out of the boards. Barely dodging them, she made her way to the turn that was riddled with suspended boulders. She avoided them, and made her way through the last obstacle, three loop-the-loops, before landing on the finish point. By now, the audience was raving, and then end of her run drew her the most enthusiastic applause her had heard till now. Shell-stocked was an understatement to what Albus was feeling. He knew she was good, but had no idea that she was that good. Dimly, he saw her time, one of the fastest he had seen until now.

The other riders continued, and then the crowd was getting progressive rowdier. They were laughing, shouting, cheering and yelling. Their enthusiasm was infectious, and gradually spread to Albus' little group as well. Andre and Mikael were on the edge of the boundary, shouting and yelling at the plays. Carina and Morag were jumping on their seats, and screamed whenever a particularly sharp turn or obstacle was crossed. Even Marya, normally the picture of nonchalance, was riveted, seated on the edge of her seat. Albus wasn't too far behind either, as even he had joined Mikael and Andre in yelling at the riders.

However the enthusiasm of the crowd ebbed away gradually as the riders became fewer and fewer in number. By the time the last rider had arrived, they had become rather subdued, and only a few cheered are they made their way to the starting point.

This person was rather smaller in stature than the others who were competing today. Their smaller stature however did not hinder them, as they were able to maneuver the animal around them grounds. Their colours were grey, and were so similar to the coat of the beast, that they almost looked like one being.

The shot went off as with the others, and then a cloud of dust covered the animal.

The Badava had jumped in the air, and immediately picked up speed. The rider maneuvered the beast though the spheres, and crossed the disc like how Cela had done. But they could see that even she was no match to this person. While Cela rushed through the loop, they glided through, so gracefully that it looked effortless. Then, he saw it, the smoke, but before the flames could even begin to appear, the Badava had crossed them, leaving a trail of smoke its wake. The spikes were crossed with no trouble, and to Albus it looked like the rider was considering this to be a minor exercise, rather than a full course.

When they reached the end, after a spectacular loop-the-loop. the audience was speechless; you could have heard a pin drop. Then it began, cheering loud enough to wake the dead. It was obvious, this person had just given one hell of a show to them.

Albus heard the scores being announced. They had the fastest time today. Cela had finished fourth, and had qualified for the next rounds. This made him whoop loudly, and he was joined by Andre and Mikael, who led the others in a rousing chorus of cheers for her.

He made his way down to congratulate her, but before he could reach her. he saw the one who had won the round, with the fastest time talking to Cela. It was a woman. Her grey colored tunic seem to blend into the background, and yet, he was aware of her, as though she wanted to stand out as much as she blended in. Cela looked starstruck, ad Albus would have ribbed her, had he not felt the exact same way. He began to walk toward them, when he saw them turn towards her.

She was of average height, and had a slim, athletic figure. She was fair, with soft features, and a kind mouth. Her hair was brown, but the lightest shade of brown he had seen. It would have looked blonde, but the brown, despite being light was far too hard to miss. She had a gentle, welcoming expression on her face, and for some reason, he couldn't believe this was the woman who had ridden through the fire-torch so fearlessly.

She stood before him, a serene expression on her face, and said, in a calm, accented tone,"Good Day to you Mr. Potter. I trust you enjoyed the race today." He was a little shell-stocked. She saw his expression, and laughed

"Oh no, don't worry. I haven't been following you. I know you name from Miss. La-Roux. We were talking, and then she pointed you out to me"

Albus relaxed a little. Snapping out of his reverie, he stuck out his hand to her and said,

"It is an honour to meet you, Miss..."  
"Zubair. Darakhsha Mariyam Zubair." She took his hand in a firm handshake.  
"Miss Zubair. You were splendid today I was spell-bound. I have never seen anything like that in my entire existence. It was awe-inspiring."  
She smiled, and said,"Thank you, Mr. Potter. I hope I can be better in the future."

He nodded back to her, after which she said, "I'll take no more of your time. Your friend waits for you."  
"Thank you, Miss Zubair."  
"My pleasure, Mr. Potter. I hope will see you again soon enough."

He nodded and walked up to Cela. He hugged her and said

"My word, you were amazing there. Where did you learn to ride like that?"  
"I told you, I could handle it, but Al, did you see Miss Zubair. Merlin's Beard, she was on fire, literally. I have never seen someone so fast."  
"She was amazing. I couldn't take my eyes off for a second."  
"My point precisely. And now, competition be damned, I so want her autograph."

Albus laughed and put his arm around her. They walked up to the stands, were Cela was smothered in hugs and compliments. They were all so excited for her, that Mikael lifted her on his shoulders and carried her across the garden, and the others followed, laughing without a care. Albus was so happy, he was literally jumping like a child hyped up on candy. He loved these people, and the all loved each other. In the matter of few days, they had become a family.

* * *

The next event was something Albus wanted to attend, if only to solve the dilemma in his mind. He needed to figure out the identity of the woman who in the shooting range that night, and he knew, if there was any place she would be, it would be here.

The archery event would was being in a arena that had three separate targets.

They were placed at exact distances apart, with the first one being 30 feet from the archer. The second one was placed at a distance of 10 feet from the first, and the third, at a distance of 25 feet from the second one.

The archers were each allowed to shoot three arrows per target. If any one of them managed to land on it, they were allowed to shoot the next. They will continue the same till the third target. They would be recognized by their arrow feathers, which were different for each participant.

The archers reached their marks. Albus was carefully scanning them, and was both surprised and dismayed to see equal numbers of both men and women participating. It would make recognizing her far tougher than he had expected.

The game began, with the first archers shooting for their marks As the size dwindled, he saw more than half the aspirants being removed, as they couldn't hit the target. There were some better than the others, and some were worse.

Then there were only three women left. One of them walked up and began to string her bow. She picked up her arrows, with the black fletching. She then began to position her arrow.

Albus saw her, and recognized her immediately, because she was doing what he had seen on that very first day. She was using her left hand to position the arrow, though Albus saw her string up the bow with her right hand. This was her, the woman who turned her target to stone.

She was tall, taller than most of the women he had seen around here. She had long hair tied into a braid that snaked down to nearly her hips. She wore a long tunic, coming nearly to her knees, and black trousers. Her face was turned away from him, but he could see her profile, her strong jaw and sharp features. He couldn't make out what she looked like, which frustrated him.

She pulled the drawstring close to her chin, and let the arrow fly. The arrow landed on the target, but not on the bulls'-eye, but close enough to it. He was puzzled. He had seen this woman, seen her shoot. She had never been anything less than stellar.

The same happened with the second, but with the third, the Arrow landed smack on the bulls'-eye. She stepped down from the platform, and made her way out of the Range. Her gait was fluid, and yet powerful. Graceful, and at the same time, sturdy. Her scores were calculated, she was in the third place. A satisfied smirk curled her lips; something Albus could see even from a distance. He realized, with a start, that this was deliberate; she had knowingly downplayed herself. She turned around, and swiftly walked away from the arena. Albus was surprised that no one noticed her leave. He was sure, hadn't he been watching her so closely he too would have missed it.

He was intrigued by this woman. Who, in their right minds, would try to portray themselves inferior, in the place where they would be judged for only their best? It was utter foolishness, and yet there had to be something that made her do it. He wasn't sure who was this woman, but he knew she wasn't a fool. Albus decided then and there , that he would find out about this woman, and why she deliberately under-performed , when she was easily the best of all of them who compete here today.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Albus was in the stands again today, this time to cheer for Morag, as she took on the fencing arena. Today, it was built in the form of two raised rings, with a boundary erected across each. They were each around 10 feet in circumference, and was presently packed with dirt all around. As each round passed, the arenas would change to incorporate a different surface. Up until now, it had changed into a marsh ground, a rocky terrain, a desert floor with scorching hot sand and marble and tiled surfaces as well. They were currently in the last day of the first rounds of the Games and because the number of participants in Swords-play was more than any other game, it took up an entire day to accommodate them all. This was why the event was postponed to the last day. The rules were plain and simple. There would be no blows below the waist, and there would be no magic used. Every time a player's torso touched the ground, they would lose a point. Three lost points would mean the loss of the game. The players will continue to spar, until only twenty-five of them are left, who would advance to the next challenges.

Morag was presently not in the ring, as she had currently finished her previous round. Albus was rather astonished to see how good her technique was. Being a swordsman himself, he could see and appreciate the nuances of the game. Every blow and block had to be perfectly timed. The strength of your grip mattered just as much as your skill with it. He had seen many today who had simply been defeated by a light strike on their blade, simply because of their dismal grip strength. Agility and swiftness were also an important aspect of swordplay.

Morag, it seemed, was in command of all of these qualities. She wasn't as big as the others in the arena, but she was very quick. Her lightness of feet had saved her many times today, and she was also surprisingly strong. He saw her put down a man twice her size with a powerful attack, and despite being nearly twice her weight, immediately crumpled. Her father had taught her well

The two men in the arena were sparring rather brutally, with the loud clangs of their swords literally echoing through the arena. The chatter of the people, either cheering them louder, or heckling them nearly drowned out the sounds, but more than that, they were giving them audience a show.

In the five days in which Albus had attended the games, he had realized that more than anything, the players who fought were trained soldiers, trained not to fight, but to entertain. The vast majority of these, he discovered were people who had come from the innumerable tribes all around the region. Sreenagar was sort of a Mecca for them, not in the sense of bondage or mastery; rather because it was the only place they could all meet and interact without having to worry about animosity between their states. All of the tribes were independent in their own right, with their own laws and leadership. The tournament was a way of each tribe showing the best of its skill to the other, and Cashmere, being the largest of them all, and had no stake in this. He noted that not a single soldier he had seen in the palace before the Games were competing. Of course, he hadn't seen each and every soldier of the army, but what he did see was that none of the one's he had seen were. He asked around a little, first Mrs. Lall, and then once, to Abdul Saboor. He concluded from their rather vague replies that it was an unspoken agreement that the soldiers of Cashmere would not participate in any of the games. He thought about it, and understood why it was necessary, because only then can the King ensure complete transparency during the process.

In his five days here, he had also learnt a lot more about the city and its cultural heritage. The King had permitted them all to tour the city as they please, with the only condition being that they dress as commoners. He said that this was necessary for their safety, as they were foreign guests. They would be accompanied by a guard, who would also act as a translator for them. For Albus though, the translator was unnecessary. Before going, he had gone to meet his Aunt Hermione, and when she learnt that he was going to a foreign country, taught him a handy spell she had developed, which allowed him to understand and speak any foreign tongue, as long as it was activated. The spell had come in very handy during his stay, because it allowed him to actually visit the city like a local. His fair complexion wasn't drawing any attention, as nearly all the locals were similar looking, with their fair skin, light hair, and almost European features.

As none of them had participated in any of the other events, they had a lot of free time on their hands. They utilized it by travelling the city extensively, visiting many important historical landmarks. They also saw the large market, or the bazaar, as it was called here. It was a charming sight, tucked away in the corner of the city. The shops were all on the road itself, giving it the look of a very well organised flea market. They were all thrilled to be in the market, and immediately walked away to shop. The girls all flocked to the stores selling various cloths and wraps. The shopkeeper was beckoning them, and claimed that it was the finest fabric in the world.  
"It's true, my lady. This fabric is so exquisite, it can pass entirely through any ring on your finger."

They didn't believe him, so the shopkeeper brought out a tiny metal hoop, one that could only have been made for a child, and proceeded to slide the entire shawl of around 2 meters length through the tin ring. Albus wasn't sure whether that was magic or not, but he was sufficiently impressed, and he bought two, one for his Gran and one for his Aunt Hermione. He knew she deserved his thanks, and his mum never wore a shawl, so he didn't get one for her, rather, he got her a long fur coat that nearly went up to his knees, and was soft enough to practically slide out of his arms. They all ten went to a local eatery, where they had a special brew which was called Kashmeri Chai, or Tea. Unlike Tea, it was not brown, but a light pink in color, and tasted deceptively sweet. They then moved on to the local craft shops, where they all purchased mementos. Albus bought his father a wooden case to keep his quills from breaking. He got Lily an expansive Treatise on Magical Trees of the World, as he knew that it would be useful in her work in Wandlore, and also a finely carved bracelet. For James he got a small wooden wall plate, which was covered in intricate carvings. He himself bought a small dagger, which was covered in a carved wooden sheath. He knew it wasn't the most practical of items, but he bought it anyway. It had a white handle and a hilt of dark walnut. It was beautiful, and he simply couldn't pass it up.

However, more than his adventures as a tourist, Albus learned more about the city by simply observing from the shadows. His ability to understand and speak the language made him blend in almost as well as any other person. He slowly managed to decipher the working of the city. He began to understand social classes, and how they could intermix. There were many people; Scholars, Warriors, businessmen and Servants formed the main bulk of the society, with many sub-castes in between. They could not be discerned externally, as nearly everyone wore similar long, robe-like clothes due to the cold weather, however, everyone knew the caste of the other. He also saw that they were a few peoples who were considered outcasts, and whose presence was not normally seen in any event. They were the same family who left the arena on that first day, when they were humiliated out of the grounds.

They were called "Kindav", according to what Albus understood. He was eavesdropping on a conversion between two old men, on the pretext of buying something from the next stall. They were apparently all Prostitutes, born and bred Streetwalkers, whose only calling was corrupting the minds of other folk. Their extraordinary good looks made them entitled, and they see themselves as good for no other work. They apparently had no honour, and were a disgrace to the community. The other man agreed saying they should all be killed, or sterilized, so that no more of their bastard offspring could taint their lands.

Albus was shaking with rage by the time he got away from there. These people were heartless fools, he decided. The look on that little girl's face, her lower lip stuck out and wobbling, her eyes filled with tears, reminded him of his own niece, Marie. There was no way that family was a family who indulged in that. What did surprise him was how quietly the man accepted his fate. He didn't even try to defend his wife's honor, and Albus suspected that this was the treatment his people must receive on a daily basis. His heart broke when he remembered the little girl's face as she was picked up by her father and taken out of the stadium. He was disgusted with those men, and his heart went out to that family, especially to the child.

Presently, he was looking at the arena, where Morag's turn had come again. She was going to face a man, a tall, burly fellow with a short cropped beard covering his chin. Dressed in typical military attire, with dark trousers and tunic, he looked similar to many men here. By now, the number of participants had thinned down considerably, with only three spots left. The second ring was also in position, with two women as opponents. Albus thought that since only one participant had to go, it would be tough to decide who it will be. The judges, who sat on the far corner, decided that this round would be an indefinite one, and the last three players that remain standing will be the winners.

Morag nodded, and having sized up her opponent, took her stance. Her opponent too did the same. Albus had noted that most of her competitors had dismissed her in the beginning, only to be soundly trounced later. This man wasn't making the same mistake, rather he was actively observing her approach, trying to analyse it and discover any weaknesses if he could.

The sound went off, and they began. Morag, who typically waited for any attack before charging, instead charged directly at him, trying to knock his sword off. Albus understood why she was doing this. It was because she was at a physical disadvantage; she needed to have a surprise element. However, her opponent anticipated his, and warded it off with his own supremely strong hack. He then attacked her flank, which she dodged, albeit barely. She then swung back and struck at his shoulder, but he again warded her off, surprising agile for a man of his size.

They were battling fiercely, with both parties giving it all they got. She was good, but her opponent was better. He had the upper hand in the fact that he was much more skilled than her, and her own defense, while strong, was no match for his. She was slowly started to get exhausted, Albus saw with concern, but keep battling on, despite it.

Just then, a loud shot blew from one end, and both stopped mid-swing. They looked over, and saw that one their left, one of the players was down. The other was pointing a sword at their chest, an expression of triumph on her face. Morag and her opponent looked at each other, then the put down their swords. They stared for a minute, before he put out his hand, and she took it gracefully. She turned around and walked away from the arena, her relief evident. She knew that if it would have been any longer, she would be the one who was staring at a blade in her face. She got away, but by the narrowest of margins.

Albus followed her, and when she met his eyes, he gave her a smile, and a thumbs-up. She smiled back at him weakly, before walking down, and disappearing behind the curtains.

The hubbub around slowly died away, as the people slowly trickled down the stands Albus went to Morag, who looked tired, and congratulated her. The others did the same, which brought a smile to her face. They chatted for a while, and when she got up, Andrew gave her his arm, which she took with a grin. Together, they walked away from the grounds to the castle, to prepare for Dinner. The King had insisted that the tradition of taking dinner together would be followed even during the Games; with an exception being that they wear all requested to wear traditional Indian Attire. They could wear their own clothes, but in keeping to the spirit of the games, Indian clothing was encouraged. Albus had agreed, along with everyone else in his group. He chose to dress in the Military styled clothes, similar to the others. The women had decided to dress as the Scholar class, with long, but simple, flowy blue robes, and a white scarf that covered their hair. It was a fun experience, like playing dress-up, only as an adult.

The dining hall was similar every day, presumably to keep a sense of constancy for them. They all sat on their regular table, eating and enjoying themselves. The food was, as always, excellent Lamb stew, with spit-roasted duck and fresh baker's bread. The dessert had rice pudding and fresh fruits.

Before they could leave, however, the King asked them all to join him in a toast, to celebrate the successful completion of one phase of the games. They all joined him, and after a few more toasts by various other officials, they left the Dining Hall.

After he came back to his room, he and changed tried to go to sleep, but he wasn't able to. Feeling a little restless, he decided to go for a walk around the corridors.  
He changed into the clothes he was wearing before, went to his bag and took out the Invisibility Cloak, and draped it over his shoulders. The cool fabric enveloped his body in a shroud, rendering him out of sight.

He stepped out into the corridor, enjoying the soft breeze of the night as he walked along. The calm of the palace was something he had gotten used to now, and ever since he began to use the cloak, he was never caught.  
After an hour or two, Albus thought he should head back. As he began to walk back to his room, he felt the cool breeze turn to a cold draft. He wrapped the cloak around itself, and made his way to his room, seeing that the wind came from an open window on his left.

Then, he heard it. A high-pitched, blood-curdling shriek that chilled him to the bone. He ran up the corridor, trying to find its source. He heard it coming from one of the Rooms close to his own, and ran up to it and opened the door, all the way to the bedchamber. The sight turned his stomach over.

Marya Mackenzie was lying on the floor, choking in a pool of her own blood and bile. Her nightdress was soaked through, and ther were bloody handprints over the sid of her bed linens Her lamp had fallen down and shattered, and tiny bits of glass were strewn all over. She was heaving blood, her face pale and reathing shallow. Her eyes were rolling to the back of her head, and this is what made Albus snap out of his reverie.

"Fuck, Mackenzie, what-what-what... ju-just hold on. Hold .Still."  
He ran up to her, and starting to make her sit up, and the movement made her cough up more blood. Immediately he put her down. She looked up and said,  
"The propheeeccyy..."

After which, she fainted, the corner of her mouth still draining blood.

Albus shrank back, horrified. Then he got up and ran to him room. He had brought one of his blood replenishing potions along with him, he just needed to find it. He ran back to his bedchamber, and tore through his bag. Finding the vial, he ran out of his room, but stopped in his tracks.

He saw that one of the doors to the chambers was open, and a moan of pain could be heard. He opened the door, and saw a man, lying on the floor, his head split open at the forehead, as blood spilled out of it in rivulets.

He shrank back, petrified, and ran out of the room. Everywhere around him, he could see doors open, sounds of agonizing pain coming from within. The sights were horrifying. People were bleeding out of their eyes like a macabre horror movie; some had their chests split open. Some were heaving up blood, and others had their skulls split open.

Albus was terrified. What in the name of Merlin was happening? Then, he remembered with a start, Marya. He ran to her room, but then he saw something that chilled him even more.

There were men walking into her room Men, dressed in Military Uniform, with swords and bows drawn. They were all incredibly- good looking, with grey eyes, which currently were chasing down the corridor. He halted in his tracks. He realized this was an attack, or an ambush.

He bolted back to his room. He swiftly picked up his Cloak, Amulet, and his few Potions supplies, and stuffed them in a bag. He snatched his wand, and the dagger he had taken to keeping around him and spun, only to find someone staring him down from his door, a arrow pointing straight between his eyes.

He froze, and the person at his doorway. They put down their bow. Albus looked at and realized that it was a woman. In fact the same woman he saw on the Archery Range thrice now. The fact just barely registered with him, when she sped up to him , and said frantically,

"ARE you alright?"  
"What?Yes, yes Im perfectly fine, but..."  
"How are you alright? None of the others have made it."  
He didn't know what to say but then, they heard a crash. They froze, and looked at each other. It was dark, so he couldn't see her face, but there was no mistaking the glint in her eyes.

"You are not safe here. You have to leave."  
"That is what is was doing, before.." Crash. They were coming closer

She swore. Then, she took one look at him, and he could scarcely do more than grab his bag, did she grab his arm and began to drag him out of his room. Albus followed, sensing this wasn't a time to argue.

They made it all the way to the garden, before they heard footsteps. Someone was following them. Without thinking, he grabbed her arm, and ran towards the hedge in the corner.

Once they stopped, he saw they were in the training arena. She immediately pulled him towards where the shields were kept, and crouching behind them. They waited for five minutes that seemed like an eternity, and when no one turned up, they made their way out. As they were leaving, he saw one of the Sabre swords lying near the deck.

Hesitating for a minute, he picked one up, and ran out with her. It was light, lighter than he had expected. He suspected it was the adrenaline that helped him. As they weaved through the gardens, he saw her change path suddenly, and in his struggle to catch up, nearly toppled over. This made her stop for a second, but when she saw the sword, she lost her calm.

"Are you mad?! That thing is heavy and you bring it along with you. You stupid fool!"

But before she could say anything else, he saw a dark shape behind her, a silver glint in the dark. Without thinking, he drew his own blade, and struck the man behind. But he hadn't hit the sword. Instead of a deafening crack, he had a dull cutting sound, similar to when you struck a hammer against metal.  
He fell over, a tall fellow with dark hair. The blade had sliced through his shoulder blade, and had come out clean on the other side. The man lying on the floor was now missing his right arm, which lay over on the side somewhere, useless. Albus shrank back, horrified at what he had done. The sword was still in his hand, dripping with blood and before he could comprehend what he had just done, he heard footsteps. He looked over at the woman, who wore a similar shell-stocked expression on her face.

She snapped out of her daze and in a second, dragged him away from there. Numb, he followed, until he saw no more grass and flowers, but instead; large, rugged pine trees and moss-covered floors. They were out of the castle, perhaps even out of the city.

They did not speak, but kept on running until they reached another mile inside the forest. She stopped then, and he immediately sank onto the ground, bone-tired and numb. He was still holding the sword in his hand, which was now covered with dried blood. His tunic was soaked, and only the fact that his bag , with contained all of his current valuables was safely slung on his back

He then heard a loud noise from the end of the small clearing where they were.  
"Liya, Liya, where are you? Are you here?"  
"Here, Dara."  
A woman walked inside the near them, the one who had won the Badava race one the first day. It felt like a lifetime ago now. They were both talking to each other, about him apparently

From the conversation, he gathered that she was giving him a recap of what happened back there. Dara, or whatever her name was, turned to look at him, shock evident on her face. The other woman also began to face him. When she turned to him, it was when he got his proper first look at her.

She was taller than he had expected. Her dark hair had braided all the way through her crown, to a single braid behind her head. She was dressed exactly like him, with the black, full-sleeved tunic and fitted trousers. The obvious change was her shoes. Albus had not worn any shoes, as he had been in his slippers this whole time. Her shoes, which looked like riding boots, were made of leather, and came up to her calves, and were tied together by strings. He looked up to her face. Round, with a well-defined square jaw, and a deep probing stare. However, it were her features that gave him pause. Sharp angular planes, with a well-defined Grecian nose and a broad forehead, devoid of any lines or wrinkles. Her brows were drawn together , giving them an almost pinched appearance. Her mouth was drawn in a thin line, and combined with the intensity of her stare, made her look almost feral, and yet he could see the aristocratic lines etched in them. She looked like a predator, fluid and dangerous at once.

A large bow was strapped to her back. Long and sinewy, it would come up to her waist, were it put down. A quiver full of arrows was also tied to her back, and was strapped down to her chest. She had a small knife, which was tied around her hip.

She looked at him, staring him down, then she gave him her hand, offering to help him up. Now that the adrenaline had worn off a little, he was starting to feel the after effects of that little exercise. He ignored her hand, and stood up, and said, in the most calm tone he could manage, despite his rather obvious anger.

"Who are you? And why are my friends currently dying in that place? And what the hell just happened back there?"

They looked at each out, then Dara walked up to him and said, in what she had hoped was a calm tone, "We don't know yet, Mr. Potter. But what we don't know is this, you cannot go back there, if you want to live."  
He looked at her, and said coldly, "Madam, I am not a fool. I know i cannot go back to that place. What I want to know is how did you know what was going to happen?"  
The other woman stepped forward, and said," Mr. Potter, what just happened in the place is not something we can discuss. As for your friends and I need you to believe me on this, they are alright. They will be taken away, and will be healed. However they are not safe. Their lives are in danger. "

"Who are you? And what do you mean by that?"  
She fell silent. On this, Dara turned him, and said,"Mr. Potter, allow me to introduce you to my sister."  
"Aaliyah Inayat Zubair."


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter 14  
"The woman, or Miss Zubair, stepped forward, and there was a hard edge to her voice,  
"Mr Potter, I do not lie. What happened in the Palace is something way bigger than even I can understand. What I do know is that we are all in very grave danger right now. The only thing I can tell you is that if we do not move from here right now, we will be in even more trouble than we are now."  
Albus was furious, but he didn't say a word. He simply put the blade back in the sheath, and took a few deep breaths. He needed to compose himself, get his bearings together. There was something incredibly sinister going on, and until he got out of here, he couldn't find out what. By now, the two sisters had also gotten ready to move. The woman, who had literally dragged him into this mess, was talking in rapid, hushed tones, on what he hoped was important. They made their way out of the clearing, when Albus, wanting to understand what they were saying, quietly activated the Language charms. He couldn't get it all, but what he could hear was important enough that it made it worth the effort.

"….. the rooms. No chance of escape."  
"Good God. Were they all Kindav, or were others there too?"  
"No. Just them, though for a job as easy as this one, they could have very well sent just five men and be done with it. The escort was to intimidate anybody in the off-chance that the poison didn't affect them."  
"And the Royal family? Guards? Servants?"  
"They were drugged enough to be well on their way to joining the rest. Though, the family I couldn't find. I should have just stayed in the corridors today, instead of following them out. I couldn't even find the rest of them."  
"Any one you could recognize?"  
"No, it was too dark. Though we were spotted as we ran. They gave chase, and one of them even tried to sneak an attack, but lost him arm, thanks to this one here."  
Here she looked at him and the sword, and looked at him disbelievingly for a minute. But then, they heard rustling in the distance and froze in their tracks. Someone was coming, and they didn't know from where. He saw the woman draw her bow and nock an arrow on almost instantly, a murderous expression on her face. Albus too drew his own sword, no knowing what to expect. But when they emerged from the woods, she immediately loosened the drawstring, and ran up to him. The other woman, her sister followed her as well, her expression one of deep concern.  
It was a man, at it seemed he was badly injured. His pant leg was ripped, and was dripped blood. His right arm, which carried a Longsword, was similarly injured, with a slash running down it right to the elbow. He dropped down right there on the forest floor, nearly fainting. There was a deep gash on the right side of his face, which was bleeding profusely.  
The two women went up to him, and Dara immediately said,"Yusef, God Almighty, what happened?"

"The men caught me escaping from the hall. It was messy, Dara. I never thought that they would take security so seriously, considering that everyone was either drugged or on the verge of dying."  
"Do you feel your arm? Or your leg?" By now she had crouched down next to him, as he was slowly losing consciousness.  
Until them, Albus had been furious, but then he saw the man nearly dying. His healer instincts took over, and he crouched down next to him, and opened his bag to remove the one vial of dittany that he had with him. When Dara saw him, she tried to stop him, saying,  
"What are you doing? I need to Heal him, and you aren't helping matters."  
"I am a healer myself, Miss Zubair. A good one, and by the looks of it, your friend is in need of it. We have to clean and close his wound, and stop the bleeding, or else he will hemorrhage. If we simply close the wound without disinfecting it, it will fester, and he will eventually die of Gangrene."  
She looked at him, her expression still wary. He said "I need you to trust me, Miss Zubair. If we do not do this, he is at greater risk of dying. Please, I need you to have faith in me."  
She looked at him, and saw the resolve in his eyes. She took a deep breath, and said,

"I trust you, Mr. Potter. Save my brother's life."  
Albus nodded and immediately got to work. The blood was already clotting, and there were leaves and bits of dirt stuck to it. He took them out quickly, and applied the dittany. A sizzling noise ensued, and the man jerked violently, but Albus held him down. The gash on the face closed up right before his eyes. He didn't stop, but instead worked his way up the man's sleeve, and that too melted away before his eyes  
When he reached the leg, however he saw the problem. The gash was too deep for dittany, and anyhow, he had just a little left. He needed it so that he could restock it with a refilling charm. Looking at the leg he made his decision, and drew the knife at his belt.

All this time, Aaliyah was watching him, more than a little wary. This man had no idea what had just happened, and how closely had he escaped that fate. She had no idea how those bastards got that thing in the rest of them, but somehow this one had eluded it.  
She observed him. He was tall, and had typical fair complexion of a Caucasian. He was dressed like how all the others were, in the Military Uniform of assumed he had not changed his clothes after dinner. He had black hair, with dark bangs which was strewn all over his broad forehead. He had a square, well-proportioned face with unnaturally sharp features. Shapely brows, defined cheekbones and a straight nose. His eyes were deeply set, the color of a grassy field after a long bout of rain.  
What surprised her most was how he incapacitated a man with only one blow. Accidental though it was, she saw the skilled grip with which he was holding the sword, and the technique he displayed was not one born out of pure adrenaline. Dara had not told her that he was a Swordsman, and she certainly hadn't seen him in the Games competing.  
Dara was right when she said that this was no ordinary man. Her sister always had an uncanny ability to judge people based on their looks. She had told her that this was a man who was worth keeping an eye on, if only partially; and now, when he was sitting there and saving Yusef's life, she was one again glad for her decision in bringing him along with her.

Presently, he was moving down, toward the injury on his left leg. It looked worse than before, with the forest insects already gathering around because of the blood. He cast them away impatiently, and took a look at the leg. He stared for about a minute, then blew out a deep breath, and took out the knife he had tied to his waist. She looked at what he about to do, and nearly kicked his arm away, but then she saw more closely what he was doing.  
Instead of taking the blade over the bone, he simply run it under the leg of the trousers, and cut it away. He put the fabric aside, and then stuck his knife back in its sheath. He put his hands forward, and muttered a few words.  
Immediately, liquid light began to pour out of his arm .Its radiance lit up the jet black clearing, and covered the wound up entirely, and slowly began to seep in. He did not flinch, rather kept muttering the words, which sounded like a soft melody. The wound absorbed the light, and slowly began to seal, first on the inside, then slowly making its way up to the skin. The gash was healing, and as it closed completely, he stopped speaking. Immediately, the thing that looked like light began to seep back into his palms, before disappearing again, leaving the night dark again.

He stood up, and wordlessly picked up the patch of cloth he had cut. Using a string he found in his bag, he tied it around his leg. Then, he placed his hand over Yusef's forehead, and said very quietly, Rennervate. It began to glow softly, and stopped when he heard a soft groan.  
Yusef awoke, blinking a few times. His looked at his hand, which was healed, and touched his face, and relaxed slightly after finding it fixed. He looked at his leg, which was fixed too, before noticing her and Dara. He stood up, gingerly placing his weight on the injured leg, but then was surprised when he felt no pain. The leg was healed, there wasn't even a scar where the sword had torn through his leg. He then noticed Albus who was standing there, expressionless.  
"Who is this?"  
"This is Albus Severus Potter. He was the only one among the ambassadors and champions who wasn't affected by the poison. He is the one who saved your leg right now."  
-

By now, Albus had more questions than he had before, and wanted them answered now. He did not want to show them that, but he knew it was the only way to save that man's life. The moment the saw him doing the spell, their eyes nearly popped out of their head. Dara was openly staring, an awestruck expression on her face. The other woman, Aaliyah was looking riveted as well, he eyes constantly following the flow of magic from his palms. After he was done, he gathered the bag and stood up, properly observing the man before him.  
He was a towering man, taller than Albus himself, with a large, burly face. His close-cropped hair was cut so short that it looked buzzed, and revealed the rather large forehead and bushy brows. His face was covered with a thick beard, and his nose looked crooked, as though it had been broken, and couldn't set properly on healing. He was dressed in Military fashion, with black trousers and a tunic. He carried a longsword, which was fastened to his belt. The entire image was set off by dark eyes boring out from deep sockets in the skull.  
Albus thought he looked familiar, and then realized with a start that he indeed had seen him before. This was Morag's final opponent, the one who almost defeated her. Albus was more than impressed at Morag's skill now, as he wasn't sure that even he could take on this man and defeat him in battle.

While the other man was talking to Dara, she walked up to him, her expression wary; and at the same time, curious. She looked at him and said,  
"How did you do that, Mr. Potter? No one, especially no one who comes from your land should be able to do that."  
"How I did or did not do that isn't important. What is important is you telling me what the hell is going on here."

She looked back to Dara and Yusef, who were walking up to him. Sensing the tension, she said,  
" Mr. Potter, I would like to introduce you to my cousin and friend, Mohammed Abrar Yusef Zaidi. He was in the palace, similar to you both, and he was keeping an eye on the various workings of the palace. He is the one who discovered the attack and alerted Liya, who managed to escape before it was too late."  
Then the man; or Zaidi walked up to him, and said "Mr. Potter, I cannot thank you enough for what you did for me. I will forever be grateful for your help, and no words can hope to express my gratitude towards you."  
Albus nodded back curtly. Then he turned to Dara, and said "What happened back there in the Castle? Why are my friends currently dying? And most importantly, why did you bring me here?"  
She looked at him, and with a long sigh, started speaking,

"The reason why all of your friends are in that situation is because there was an attack on the palace. The men who were in there in the palace were Kindav. They are a Taboo people, and they serve a very evil tried to kill you all, by poisoning you. Your friends were poisoned in the palace, as were you. The only difference is, you survived, and are inscathed, but the others are not."  
Albus took a step back, unable to grasp what was being said.

"Poisoned?", he said weakly.  
She nodded, a troubled expression on her face.

"Today, when you all had your evening meal, you were asked to take some liquor along with it. The liquor had been laced with a potent poison, one that works in a most terrible manner. It is called Mainikya, and everyone in the palace had their drinks laced with it. It worked differently on different people, and while it injured the other ambassadors who are in the palace, it put all the others in a potent drug-induced coma. There is no way for us knowing how it happened, or why it was done. The only reason we knew, is because we were told come and keep vigil, for something terrible was going to happen in the Games this time. We didn't know how or why, but now, the entire Castle, along with your friends are in very grave danger. The only way for us to know what has actually happened is to return back to the man who asked us to come here, for he is the only one who could have any idea as to why it could have happened."

Albus was silent after this. This was not what he had thought would happen. He had expected to simply return back, and continue as nothing had happened. But now, it was impossible to do that. If the palace was under siege, there was no way he could go back without alerting anyone of his absence. He wasn't sure if they knew that he was missing, but if they did, there was no doubt he might meet the same fate as the others.

They were looking at him, waiting to respond. Albus did not begrudge them this. He knew the only way he could return home was to work with these people. He exhaled loudly, trying to calm his frazzled nerves. When had things gone so wrong? He needed to go back, to tell his father everything so that they could help Cela and the others. He looked back at them, and said,

"What do you what me to do? I cannot stay here any longer, and I do not know how far I am from home. I cannot set up a Portkey, for I don't know how to. What am I supposed to do?"  
They looked at him, and their faces told him that they hadn't considered this before. They were silent for a minute when the woman, Aaliyah, stepped forward and said quietly,  
"You could come with us."  
"With you? Why?"  
"Because you are in very grave danger right now, Mr. Potter. The attack on the castle wasn't just a coincidence. The Games have been happening for more than 100 years, and it cannot be pure chance that the palace was attacked now, when Ambassadors and Scholars from nearly all the magical communities in the world were in it. You were a target, as were the rest of the people in the palace right now. If you go back, what they will do to you is not going to be pleasant. "

"She is right, Mr. Potter", This was from Yusef, who was nodding along as she was speaking, and could see the reasoning behind her suggestion.  
"The palace is not safe, and neither are these woods. You managed to survive that for a reason, and until that reason is discovered, you are in danger of losing your life. We can take you to our Headmaster, who will have answers as to why. He is also the only person who can send you back to your country."

Albus heard them, and pondered over what they said. He knew they were right, at least about what had happened in the palace. But how was he to trust them? This was not something he could take lightly. But he had no options n his hands. He looked at him, and said,  
"If I agree, I will need your assurance that you will not harm me, and that you will do everything in your power in helping me go back. In turn, if I can, I will help you discover why I was not poisoned like the rest of them."

They agreed, after which they made their way out of the clearing. But Albus was still unsure of what to do. He needed to inform his father as to what had happened. He would panic, but he would let him know what to do next. If there was anyone he could count on to be calm in a stressful situation, it was Harry Potter. But how? Then he remembered the amulet hanging down his neck.

He stopped in his tracks, and took the amulet off his neck. The others stopped to, then went silent when Albus gave them a look. He then opened the clasp of the pendant and said in a clear voice, " _loqueris ad me,_ Harry James Potter."

Instantly a Portal opened up, and his father's face appeared before him. He was smiling, but then stopped noticing Albus's grim expression.

"AL? Is everything all right? And why is it so dark?"  
Albus took a deep breath, and started explaining. He told him everything, about Carina's presentation, the contest the games, and finally about tonight. Harry's face was growing darker by the second, and by the end, his expression very nearly matched Albus'.

He said, "I need to find a way to contact the ICW. This is way beyond us now. I need to speak to Hermione. Kingsley as well. Goddamn it, this is a mess."  
"No, Dad. You cannot speak to anyone about this, at least not in an official capacity. This is not just about me, it is about all the people in the palace, both Indian and otherwise. The attack was by someone who is inside the palace itself, and no one knows who. If we try to contact the ICW, they'll immediately blame the King, and it isn't his fault. Hell, he is himself in their control, dying. Come what may, no one can know about this."  
"Then what do you expect me to do? I can't just sit here when my son may die any bloody minute."  
"Yes, you have too, Dad. Please remember you are not just my dad, you are also Harry James Potter, Head of the Auror Department and one of the most respected figures in the magical community. You cannot afford to think irrationally. The only thing you can do, is try to find out if anyone else has managed to escape. And please, I beg of you, do not tell Kingsley."

Harry's blood was boiling. He could see Albus was right, but he wasn't thinking like a ministry official, goddamnit. Albus was his son, and he could never ever see him as anything apart from that. I should have never asked him to go, Harry thought bitterly. He then took a deep breath, and said,  
"What are you planning to do?"  
"'l'll go with them. Miss Zubair and her brother and sistet seem to know what is going on. And they are the only people I can trust right now. I have to go with them, or I'll be stranded."  
Harry was silent. Albus understood his dilemma, and said in a calm, measured tone,  
"Dad, do you remember you once told me that I am one of the only people you'd trust me with your life. I am asking you to do the same. Except, instead of yours, I am asking you to trust me with the fate of all the people captured in that palace there. Can you do it?Can you trust me?"  
Harry was quiet for a minute. Then he said, "I trust you, Al. But I will give you only ten days to handle this. If it gets any longer than that, I will contact the ICW and come what may; I will find those people, alive or dead."

Albus nodded, and said "I love you, Dad. Tell Mum and Lily I love them to. And James. and Teddy him to kiss Sophie for me."  
"I will. I love you too, son. Now go. Come back to us alive. Ten days, that's all I'm giving you. Then I will come in, whether you like it or not."

Albus nodded. Then he closed the portal, and saw them staring. He saw understanding in their gaze, before it went blank. He didn't comment, just starting walking, and hoped he wasn't making the most monumental mistake of his life.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

They had been traveling for about two days when Albus realized he knew nothing about where they were going. He wasn't in the best of moods, and he thought his companions could sense that, so they gave him a wide berth. But now, he felt a little foolish and knew he had been acting petty. So swallowed his pride, and walked up to Dara, who was right in front of him. She was a wise woman, Albus thought. Perceptive and kind, she understood Albus' dilemma and had given him enough time to work past it. In the two days when they had been on the road, she was immensely patient with him, even when he snapped at her. She offered him the little food they had and asked him to rest before they could move.

Now, as he walked up to her, she gave no indication that something unusual had happened, simply smiled at him and said, "Is everything all right, Mr. Potter?"

Now he just felt ashamed. He had expected hostility, even sarcasm, but her kind demeanor literally defeated him. He hung his head, and said,  
"Miss Zubair, I am genuinely sorry for all the idiocy I have displayed during the past two days. It has been a tough time for all of us, and I should not have been so utterly rude towards you. Please forgive me."  
She smiled back, and in a genuinely warm tone, said "Believe me, Mr. Potter; I understand your dilemma. I do not begrudge your confusion, and considering the circumstances, a little anger is accepting. Hell, if you were completely calm, I would have been in doubt about your regard for your safety."  
He laughed. Then he said, "I would really appreciate if you would do me the honor of calling me, Albus. It is like I told my friends, Mr. Potter is too stuffy"

She laughed as well, and said with mirth in her eyes,  
"I will. And I will ask you to return the favor b calling me Dara. My full name is a handful, and I do not like being called by my last name either."

He smiled back, and said, "Dara then. But now, I have to ask you, why do you think were the people back there poisoned? Surely you must have some inkling. There has to be motive, for no one simply brutalizes a group of extremely important foreign delegates just for kicks."

Her smile turned to a frown, but her tone was not unkind when she said, "No, Albus. I genuinely have no idea as to why someone would do that. You are right, there has to be some ulterior motive behind it, but I do not know what it is. Perhaps Acharya will."

"The Acharya, you say? That means teacher, doesn't it? So are we going to some school?"  
"Yes. The reason why we were asked to go to the Games is that I, my sister and my brother are instructors in the school. The Acharya is my father, and he is one of the most knowledgeable men in the world. He will know what to do, and I am sure he finds a way back home for you."

Albus was quiet, and then asked: "What is the name of your school, and how old is it?"He felt foolish, as he knew next to nothing about the people he was traveling with. He didn't want to continue to be an Arse and was determined to be a good person to be around.

"Our school is one of the oldest institutions for magical education in the world. We don't know the exact date, but it has been estimated that it is well over three and a half thousand years old. The school was called _Saushastha Niketa_ , a name that meant House of Excellence. Later, as the institution grew, and more structure was added to it, the name gradually evolved and changed. It was later given the name of one of the most pioneering institutions in the world for education. In fact, the emperor who built was also one of the key people who made the magical community in India more unified than ever. He was honored in building the institution which bore his name, and now no longer exists."

Albus was intrigued. "What is it, the name of your institution?"

"Nalanda. Nalanda Vishwavidyalaya. Our motto is _Vidwanam Sarvatram Pujyate_ , which means, the one with knowledge shall always be worshipped. Our institution is one of the best in the region, and also one of the least known. We train our students in not just magic, but also Combat and various other skills. Not many know about it because we chose to keep it that way."

Albus nodded, fascinated. But then he heard a shout from Aaliyah, "DUCK!"

They barely had time to do just that before a knife went whizzing past his ear, barely missing it by an inch. Dara was crouching, a cold expression on her face. Albus then drew his own sword, when he heard them, and the realization chilled his blood.

They were surrounded immediately, ten attackers pointing their weapons at them. before he could react, he saw an arrow whizzing past his head and hit the man on the extreme left. Looking behind, he saw Aaliyah load her bow again, the challenge evident in her eyes. Yusef had pulled out his own sword, his expression mirroring hers. Dara had a dagger and a whip in her hand. They backed up into a circle, and when the others charged, they leaped into the fray together.

Albus swung his sword at the man before him, effectively stopping him from slicing off his arm. The man let out a guttural roar and struck again. Albus blocked it and parried with his own sword. He thanked the fates for his skill in fighting as well as fencing, for it had kept him alive, not once, but twice.

Liya was attacking the man at Yusef's flank when she saw Albus fighting. She was surprised at his accuracy and dexterity with the sword. She knew he could wield it, but not with such finesse. He fought like a seasoned warrior, blocking blows and delivering them with equal force, his eyes never leaving the opponent. His opponent wasn't very skilled, an amateur at best, and it wasn't long before he fell. He did not have time to contemplate it for long, because another one began to attack his side, and barely dodged a nearly lethal blow to the side. He was analyzing his opponent, and instead of trying to attack, he was looking at the man's form and assessing his strengths. That was a fatal mistake, as this was no game, but actual warfare. He needed to attack instead of simply fending off blows because in doing so, he was depleting his energy.

Slowly, he stopped trying to dodge his opponent but began to actively attack. The change in his stance surprised his opponent, who couldn't recover quickly enough and was served with a severe blow to the head.

They had been fighting for some time when they heard something from behind them. When they looked, what they saw made them stop dead. There were more of them, coming from behind the grove, and that was when they realized that they were outnumbered. They looked at each other, and every one of them had the same crystal-clear message in their eyes.

RUN.

They all turned and ran towards the river, away from their attackers. The reached the river when the saw that it dropped down a tall cliff. Albus was paralyzed. There was no way he could jump this, but then, Aaliyah steeped forward. She put out her right hand and spoke a few words under her breath.

Instantly, the water stopped flowing down the cliff, instead, it became suspended in the air before them, like a carpet of liquid. He barely had time to register anything, before he was pulled on it by someone, and then he felt a swooping sensation. They were slowly moving down the cliff, the water acting as a surface for them to stand as it flowed down. He looked at Aaliyah. Her brow was furrowed, but her face was relaxed. Her hand was suspended in the air, and like a magnet, the water was flowing up to her palms, and forming the barrier under them.

By the time they had reached the ground, he was sure he had lost his ability for intelligent conversation, for all he could do was sputter. He had grown up around Magic his entire life, had practiced and mastered it, and within a span of few days, this country had managed to shock him in ways he hadn't expected. He hoped he could regain his ability to talk because all he wanted to do was walked up to her and asked her how the hell had she done that.

Dara and Yusef didn't look too perturbed, as though this was a normal occurrence for them. They were simply standing and shaking themselves off, and were checking themselves for injuries. Aaliyah was doing the same, and no one noticed Albus's glassy stare. It was after a few minutes that Dara noticed Albus's expression and said,

"Are you all right, Albus? Did you hurt yourself?"

Albus took some time to regain his bearings. He croaked out, "Fine.", though he was far from it.

She looked at him a little weirdly and decided to drop the subject. They regrouped and started walking again. They decided that it was best to walk in twos, as it made it easier to spot any attack or ambush that way. Albus was currently paired up with Yusef. The man was reserved, to say the least. He didn't talk too much but wasn't exacted cold towards Albus either. He was constantly on the watch, and it appeared to Albus that he was a very observant man. He noticed Albus's unease and asked,

"What is it, Albus? You were fine earlier. Is it something about the fight?"  
"No, it isn't the fight, though that was no less disturbing. It's just... how did she do that? Make water solid? Isn't it impossible to change the way matter behaves?"

He smiled."That is just one of the things she can do as a Master of Elemental Magic. Liya is an extremely powerful sorceress. She is one of the very few who has mastered two arts at the same time. She is the Guru of Elemental Magic back in Nalanda, and one of the most respected ones."

Albus was silent for a minute, then said"How many types of Magic are there, Yusef?"  
"There are many. There is Defensive Magic, and I am the Guru. One of them is Illusionary Arts. Dara is the Guru of that. Then there is Nature and Animal Magic. They are many others, though. I can't seem to remember all of them."  
He nodded, and said, "Which is the other Art in which Aaliyah is an expert?"  
"Defensive magic, same as mine. Although her first and best skill will always be Elemental, she was good enough at both that she mastered both of them."

"Oh, that means all of you practice all of them before choosing one to master."  
"Yes. Most people complete their training as novices in all of the disciplines. This allows them to gain a broad overview of every skill. However, there are a few, like us, who chose to spend more time mastering their crafts. They go on to study them for a very long time until they become Masters at it. Then they can choose to head that School until the next leader is ready."

Albus understood. It was a complex system, but a fascinating one as well. He suspected that this was the reason for the overall magical proficiency of Indians.

"Do all Indian Magical People study at Nalanda?"  
"Mostly. The thing about Indian Magical society is that it is very tribal in nature. Every group has its own laws and specialties, and some chose to keep to themselves with that. But most of us chose to come here, as it allows us to experience the freedom of not conforming to just our Familial or Tribal Identity. It is also why some chose to stay back."  
"Is your father a master in all the Arts, considering he is the Acharya?"  
He looked confused for a minute, then laughed, and said, "The Acharya isn't my father. He is my uncle, my mother's brother-in-law. My aunt was his wife, at least until she passed away. My mother followed quite soon after that."  
"I am sorry."  
"It is no fault of yours. But, I suspect you are right. Sulaiman Baig is my father in every sense of the word. He helped me in not falling apart after my mother died. My own father had died just after my birth. He helped my mother in raising me, and I have lived in Nalanda ever since I was five. It is my home, and Dara and Liya are my sisters, in everything but blood."

Albus nodded and smiled. He understood what it meant to have a sibling who wasn't related to you. His godbrother, Teddy Lupin was his oldest brother for as long as he remembered, and nothing anyone could say would ever change that. Every time someone asked his father about his family, he told them about his wife, his three sons, and his daughter. Over time, Ginny had started to refer to Teddy as 'her boy', and would sometimes say that he was the favorite of her children.

They were making their way forward, watching and listening, when they came across a small cave. They decided to spend the night there, as it looked like it was going to rain. They made a small fire and settled down to sleep, three at a time. Albus volunteered to take the first watch, and no one argued with him, as they conjured up some blankets and curled up beside the fire.

He stood watch for about three hours, his mind half away, back at the palace. He was seeing his friends, Cela and Carina joking along with him, Andre and Mikael flirting with all the women jokingly, and Andrew's jovial nature and Marya's dry sarcasm. He missed them and was worried. he didn't know how they were, or if they were alive or not. Stop, he sternly told himself. He wouldn't allow himself to dwell on such things. They were alive. Captured, tortured maybe, but still alive. They had to be.

By the time his turn for the watch had ended, he was exhausted; bone weary. It had been a long day for him, and he hadn't allowed himself to think of the bloodshed that happened during the day. He had convinced himself that he did it purely in self-defense, but his conscience wouldn't let him sleep. Wishing more than ever that he had a Sleeping Draught on him, he lay on his blanket, tossing and turning, before falling into a fitful sleep after some time. It was plagued with dreams of blood; loud, clanging swords; blank, pale faces and screams of terror.

* * *

The next morning, Albus awoke to a bright day. The sun was shining brightly into his eyes, and he rubbed them for a minute, before sitting up. Among the others, only Aaliyah had risen, and her back was turned to him, as she was doing something with her bag. He stood up and went to the stream to wash.

The day was beautiful. Warm, but with a chill in the air due to them being closer to the mountains. The sky was a clear blue, devoid of clouds, stormy or otherwise. There was a crisp breeze blowing, which managed to wake him up. He went up to the river and knelt down next to it. The water was cool, crystal-clear and shallow, so he washed and drank some of it too. He looked nearby and saw a couple of pears hanging from the trees around the stream. He plucked them and took them back to the camp for breakfast.

The others had risen too by now, and they all appreciated Albus's forethought in bringing food. They finished the fruits in a few minutes, then cleared up the cave, and prepared to move. Only Aaliyah was inside now, as she was clearing out the fire they had built the previous night. This was important so that no one could discover their tracks, and where they were going.

Albus did not know what made him look skywards on that day. He suspected it was fate because when he looked up, he saw a couple of large boulders balanced on the roof of the cave. Something had moved up there because he saw with horror that the boulders had started rolling down the roof. He barely had time to think about what he was doing, when he saw her standing right below the cave opening. He did not have time to consider what he was going to do before he found himself launching towards her and shoving her out of the way. He was just barely in time before he heard a resounding crash behind him, one that made him lose his balance and topple on the cave floor due to the impact.

By the time the dust cleared, he managed to slightly right himself. The cave around him was pitch-black, save for a little light coming from a few tiny holes in the avalanche that were closing the entrance of the cave.

He looked at Aaliyah, who had the same staggered expression on her face. The realization sunk in both of their heads together.

They were Trapped.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Bloody buggering hell, Albus thought furiously. He had put himself into bad situations before, but this was the fucking limit, he thought angrily. Of all the things to deal with, a cave-in wasn't something he had expected to tackle. He stood up, and brushed himself off. From the other corner, he could hear his companion mutter some choice words under breath. Why on earth did do I it, Albus thought to himself. It had to be fatigue, for under no circumstances would he do something as foolish when he was in his right mind. He looked at her for a minute. She had stood up, and was collecting her arrows, which had fallen on the ground when she had collapsed. After she was done, she turned towards him, and they both looked at the mass of rock before them.

The boulders were huge, and their combined width had to be no less than foot thick. There was no way they could manually dig themselves out, and even magic was going to make the job hard. The rocks had caved in almost perfectly, leaving no weak spots to dig out of. The only way for them to get out was to excavate each rock from the top, in the hope that the entire thing does not cave in on itself.

By now, Dara and Yusef were panicking outside, calling out their names, and trying to remove the rocks on the outside. "We're fine." Albus yelled, though he could steadily feel a growing panic creep up on him. It was going to engulf him, if he could not do anything, but he composed himself somehow. This wasn't a time to panic. He needed to get his bearings together, because if he panicked now, there would be no way he would make it out alive He looked at her, and said

"Are you alright? Did the fall hurt you?" She shook her head. "I'm fine."

"We need to tear this down, if we want to get out." She nodded, and they shouted out to Dara and Yusef what they were going to do. They had to manually extricate each rock, unwedging it slowly, so that the entire thing would not cave in on them inside. They had to do it very carefully, because though the rocks were wedged solid, there was every chance that they could fall apart by pulling out a single boulder. They had to be very careful.

The task was arduous to begin with, but was made even more dangerous by the fact that they were in dangerous territory. Dara and Yusef were on the watch, as they had found hiding spots in the trees nearby. They had to remain quiet; because they could not risk anyone hearing them. They worked all through the day, taking turns. They had figured out it would be easier if they would work together, instead of separately trying to take it apart. It would be easier, they saw, that while one person removed the rock, the other could stabilize the other ones around it. This would help stop the wall from caving in, and made it easier to concentrate on the extraction.

But it was slow work. Even with magic, it wasn't easy to remove two ton boulders wedged inside walls. They worked all day, but could only manage to remove around ten boulders, and the gap created was only big enough for a child to crawl out of. By the time evening came, they had to stop, because it was getting dark, and they didn't want to risk in another cave-in. By now, Dara and Yusef had come out of their hiding spots.

"Let us try." Dara said. "The gap is beginning to look bigger, and if we remove a few of them on the outside, you both will be able to crawl out."  
"No, don't. It is dark now, and there is no way you can see clearly. Let's get some rest, and we will try again tomorrow. You both get some rest too. Place protective enchantments around the trees. Don't bother about the cave; no one will come near it." Dara was silent for a few minutes, but she agreed. A quick conference with Yusef sealed it, and they found two sturdy trees to spend the night in.

"What about you both?"Dara asked.

She looked at him. Her expression was pensive at first, and then became resigned. "We'll manage." That's all she said.

They conjured up blankets, and huddled up on opposite corners. It was a few minutes later, when Albus began to get uncomfortable with the darkness in the cave. "Miss Zubair?"  
"Yes?"  
"May I conjure a light? It is getting too dark, and it is making the cave feel claustrophobic." She didn't react, which Albus took as a sign of assent. He whispered _Lumos_ , and a tiny ball of light appeared in his palm. He flicked it, and it flew up towards the ceiling, and hovered. The light wasn't much, but it made things a bit clearer, and wasn't too bright to give away the fact that someone was inside.

She was silent, expressionless for a minute. Then she asked,  
"Where did you learn Wandless Magic, Mr Potter?"  
"It's Albus, please. And as for your question, it was rather instinctive, you see. I don't remember the exact time or place. I learnt it, but don't know how I got so good at it."

They were both silent for some time, watching the tiny ball of light flicker from one end of the cave to another. The silence was beginning to settle in, and Albus almost gave up on trying to make conversation, when she said very softly, "Do you have any brothers and sisters?"  
He looked at her, certain he had imagined it. She wasn't even looking at him, staring at the ceiling of the cave. He couldn't make out her expression, and didn't know if she was even listening. But, he still replied,  
"I have two older brothers, and a younger sister. Their names are James and Teddy and my sister's name is Lily."

She was silent, and Albus was sure that he had imagined her talking. But, then she said, "What do you call them?"  
"James. And Teddy. And Lily."

She was silent, and then she asked, "What is your family like?"

He realized that she was trying to dispel the awkwardness around them. So he began talking. He told her about his Mum and Dad, about his Mum's family He told her about his cousins, his uncles and aunts, and his grandparents. He even told her about his Uncle Dudley's family.

She was silent the entire time and only speaking to ask the occasional question. Her face was expressionless the entire time, but for some reason, he could sense an explicable sadness from her side. He didn't probe, realizing that she just wanted him to talk. So he did that. He kept talking, if only to fill the silence between them. He told her about his time in Hogwarts, his classes, about his friends and many such things. He went on for a very long time, but he didn't feel uncomfortable. Rather, he felt peaceful. It was astonishingly easy to talk to her, not because she was silent, because she made him almost comfortable. He never expected that he would ever feel relaxed around her.

It was a long time before Albus could finally feel sleep creeping up to him. He stopped talking after a while, and the silence that followed was a comfortable one. He turned to his side, and was about to fall asleep, when he heard a soft voice, "Thank you; for saving my life today."

* * *

The next morning, they got to work early. Albus suggested that he stabilize the wall, while she should try to pull apart the rocks.

She nodded, and got to work. Albus cast the _Statum_ charm, which held the wall in place. She began to work the boulder out of the wall. It was a slow job, made even tougher by the rough winds buffeting around the glen. By the look of it, they were going to have to take cover and spend the night someplace ahead; that is, if they managed to get out of the cave today As it were, the job was getting even more taxing, because they were now getting to the middle of the pile. The pile was very weak at the centre, and even the slightest of error would make it cave in inside.

By early afternoon they had managed to remove four more boulders, and the gap had become wide enough to crawl through The trouble was, there was only room for one, and the pile was extremely unstable by then. If they risked climbing out, the pile would collapse, and the other person inside the cave could be trapped inside even worse than before.

They stared at the wall, and at each other. There was no other way, they had to risk it. Albus was getting nervous, and he couldn't look at her. They both knew that there was no way they could get out without trapping the other.

Outside, Dara and Yusef were trying to solve the same problem. They tried to widen the gap by pulling out rocks from the outside, but the pile began to slide down even further, and they couldn't do much. They tried to prop the rocks up with sticks, but realized that they would be crushed by the weight.

By now, Albus resigned him to the fact that one of them was going to be stuck back here. He was standing behind the wall, almost about to propose that he stay behind and she climb out, Yusef suggest a plan.

He proposed that she should have climb out the gap first, with the three of them stabilizing the rocks on both the sides. When she was on the other side, she would try to transfigure the entire slide into one solid rock and Albus would climb out of it. He considered it, but wasn't entirely convinced.  
"Why don't you try now? Transfigure the rock, I mean."  
"Because the slide is solid on the inside, not on the outside." He said. "If we try to do it now, the weight of the rocks outside will crush it, and that will make them cave in inside .The wall isn't fragile on your side, Albus. If we attempt it, the rock wouldn't stay upright long enough for both of you to climb out in time. This is the only way you both can get out, without this thing collapsing."  
He was silent for a while, when he heard Dara saying, "Yusef's right. This is the only way you both can get out safely. If we try to transfigure it now, we run the risk of the entire thing falling in on itself."

He didn't say anything, but looked at his companion. She was considering it as well. He knew that she was an powerful witch, but was she capable enough to transfigure two tonnes of boulders into one solid mass? He knew it wasn't an easy feat.  
He looked at her, and asked honestly," Do you think you can do this, Miss Zubair?" She was silent for a minute, assessing the wall. Then, she took a deep breath, and looked him in the eye, and said, "Let's try."

They took their stances. She put up the rocks they had removed on the entrance, so that she could climb out without disturbing the wall further. She looked outside, and nodded at her siblings. Then they cast their spells.  
She didn't wait too long, instead immediately clambered up the wall. She was quick and nimble-footed, and managed to scramble out in under a minute. By then, the wall was beginning to destabilize, and there were more rocks being dislodged from above.

She jumped off the wall, and without wasting any time, immediately cast her spell at the wall. It began to solidify before their eyes, the gaps and cracks disappearing, before the entire thing became one solid mass of rock.

By now, Albus was tensed. As the wall was solidifying, he began to withdraw the charm from the wall. It tottered menacingly, before the entire interior turned solid. He clambered up rough edges, and jumped out on the other side. It was well that he managed to get out, because just then, an entire avalanche of rocks rolled downhill, crashing at the exact spot where the gap was present. The boulders landed with a crash, and the entire rock wall shattered, and caved in inside the opening.

They looked at each other, and for some reason, Albus felt like laughing. His mind bordered on the edge of hysteria, no doubt because of the near brush he had with death, again. Funny, he thought. This feeling was becoming slowly familiar to him.  
His companions were unperturbed. They were looking at the sky, which was getting darker by the minute. A storm was brewing, and they had to get out of there

They made their way forward, keeping a close watch on the weather. The sky was low and dark. The thick grey gave the forest a claustrophobic feel. The air was thick with the smell of the coming storm. There was a mutter of thunder from the blackened sky as the wind tore leaves from the trees. The thunderstorm was coming. There were growling, ominous dark clouds gathering above, looming over them.

They had traveled for an hour when the first crack of lightening sliced through the sky. It cut zigzag paths through the sky in brilliant white, almost blinding them with the brightness. It continued for a while, but there was no sign of rain from the clouds. They looked at each other, realized that they had to stop, lest they were struck by it.  
The thunder seemed to crack the air, as if the very sky might split apart. It rolled like the ash could of a volcano, becoming a rolling booming rumble. The violent unforgiving wind raced through the narrow forest paths and the clatter of fallen branches could be heard from afar.

They raced ahead inside the forest, and found a thick grove of trees, and made a quick decision. Clambering up the trees, they conjured ropes, and tied the branches together, to prevent the rain from reaching them. Albus cast anti-falling charms on the sides, and they huddled near the trunk. They were safe; for now. All they could do was wait for the storm to subside.  
Torrential rain attacked the forest in sheets, bending trees and breaking branches. The winds were driving the rain faster, harder, and stronger than it had ever before. There was nothing it didn't touch, and even high above the ground, in their perch in the trees, they could feel its effects. They were suddenly very glad for the charms around the tree.

The storm razed for about an hour, and they were draw out, both with exhaustion and worry. They couldn't sleep, and there was no use even trying to conjure a flame, because the wind was buffeting so wildly that even the most robust of flames would be snuffed out.

Then, Albus immediately had an idea. He searched in his bag, and found an empty vial in it. He enlarged it, and set it down on the small flat surface before him. His companions looked at him strangely, almost deciding that he had gone mad. He grinned at them, and whispered the words, ' _lacarnum inflamari_ '.

Immediately, light, bluebell colored flames swept up in his hand. They was blowing around, and the wind was about to blot it out, when he picked up the jar, and scooped up the flames from his palm. He set it down, and stoppered he vial, trapping the flames inside.

Dara looked at it for a second, and then let out an almost childlike explosion of laughter. Yusef and Aaliyah were looking stunned, their eyes comically wide. It was clear that none of them had seen anything that in their lives.

Dara asked him with a grin, "Where on earth did you learn to do that?"  
He beamed at her, and said, "My Aunt Hermione taught me how to. It gets very cold back home, and these things can be very useful while in winter."

They all huddled closer to the flame, relived. Because they had drawn the branches close around them, the little shelter warmed up considerably. The storm was still brewing fast, but now they were much better off than before. They all found themselves a spot near the sturdy branches. Albus put a sticking charm on the vial, so that it would not fall over. Their source of warmth secured, they all backed up to their respective corners. Albus was about to shut his eyes, when he saw her. She was adjusting the bow so that it wouldn't snap under the influence of the wind.

He looked at her for a minute, trying to figure out how to thank her for helping him. He didn't have to wait for long, because she saw him looking at her. She relaxed a little, and said,  
"Everything all right?"  
"Fine. It's just; I wanted to thank you, Miss Zubair. You saved my life back there. Had it been a second too late, I would have died."  
"You did it first, for me. Consider it a debt repaid."

He looked at he, and saw a small smile cross her lips for the first time, before her expression went blank again. He rolled to his side, and was about to close his eyes, when he heard her say  
"One more thing." "Yes?"  
"It's Liya."

He smiled back at her and then they both shut their eyes, and got some well deserved sleep.

* * *

The day broke out bright and clear. The early morning sun was already well risen and the leaves shone with tiny, glittering droplets of early morning dew and rain. The air felt refreshing, invigorating coolness combined with moisture. The forest smelled divine, with the scent of the freshly watered dirt lingering all around him. The early morning sun was warm and bright enough to light up the sky in a clear, rain-washed blue. There were no signs of clouds and it was clear that there would be no rain today. The others had woken up and after checking that the path below was clear, they made their way down

The day was beautiful, and the weather was perfect. A light breeze was blowing, which bought the good smell of the earth to them. They walked along the path, talking occasionally. Mostly though, they were silent, enjoying the beautiful landscape landscape was beginning to change gradually. Where there were steep hills and tall spruce trees, they were replaced by soft rolling plains and shorter, denser thickets. They had reached the foothills of the Himalayas, and according to Dara, they were very close to their destination.

All this time, Albus was quiet, absorbing the sights around him. The change in the landscape was unnoticeable at the first, but became clearer as they walked on. The change was subtle, but there was a definite decrease in the undulations on the path. It was getting smoother by the minute, and by the time it was noon, they had left the mountains far behind.

The tracks were beginning to get more and more solid, and gave way to actual roads inside the woods. They were walking faster now, because it seemed that this was an area that was fraught with soldiers. They were on their guard, because they were approaching the Plains. To Albus, it seemed that there were no muggle settlements here, only forests. When he asked Dara, she said that they were travelling on a road that was only visible to Magical folk. The road was protected with enchantments that made them invisible, and unplottable. There were roads like that all over the country, she said. This was because the magical populace were wary of travelling through Nisakhi territory. The roads were hidden alongside parallel paths in the regions, and this allowed them privacy to travel, without getting mugged.

"Is Nalanda here? And how is it made unplottable?"  
"It isn't located here, and it is not the grounds that are made unplottable, but the road to it. The way to Nalanda is protected by a magical barrier that can only be accessed through a series of ruins located near the forests. The ruins are of an old temple, and no one goes there, because of its repelling magic. It is completely inconspicuous, because there are many such ruins around it."

They traveled for some more miles, before they reached a series of high cliffs. There were tiny little temples built on the surface, and would have been unnoticeable, if they weren't headed directly to it.  
After they reached the tiny building, they walked up inside. It was dingy on the inside, and there was no source of light. Then, Dara walked up the little room, and disappeared behind a raised pedestal where the idol was kept.

She did something there, because he had a soft sliding noise, and his companions made their way to where Dara was standing. There was a large stone behind the idol, which when removed opened up a long passage. They crouched down and started to walk down the tunnel.

It was cool down there, and the path down was evidently very often used, because the ground beneath him was well-worn with the footsteps of the hundreds of people who had walked the same path before The wall on the sides was smooth stone, that was cool to the touch.  
The path was poorly-lit, but had enough light to make out where they were going. The tunnel had a low-ceiling, but was wide enough for two people to walk side by side comfortably. It cut straight ahead, and whoever had built it was very careful of this fact. It ended at about a quarter of a mile long. As he reached the end, he saw the tunnel widen, and the ceiling rise. There was a vast metal doorway at the end. It was carved with a peculiar design, which Albus assumed was the coat of arms for the institution.

It was shaped like a pentagon, with a curved bow at the top. Two arrows were present on each side of it, and there was a sword at the base. On the inside there were nine spheres arranged in a circle around a lit torch. The torch had flames radiating from it, and each of the spheres was connected to each other by a ring of fire. The torch had a small circular depression in the middle.

Dara stepped forward, and reached behind her neck. She unclasped a chain hanging around her neck, which held a pendent. It was a copper medallion, round and burnished to a rosy gold colour. She took the medallion, and set it inside the little hollow.  
On coming in contact with the medallion, the torch began to glow, and the flames that were radiating outward lit up as well. The ring of fire around the spheres began to glow, and the entire circle turned around itself. The large doorway opened, and light began to pour in the tunnel.

Albus stepped out, dazzled by the sudden onslaught of light on his eyes. When the blindness subsided, he found himself standing in a huge park. They had entered a grove of trees which lead to vast acres of entrancing expanse of the grounds. They were criss-crossed by several small pathways, leading to several larger ones. The paths were paved with smooth, grey colored stone. They made their way out of the clearing and Albus was struck dumb, at the grandeur of the scene before him.

There was a huge stone edifice at the end of a huge esplanade. The building was made out of some kind of light coloured stone, and the stark coldness of the image was offset by the dark spires at e roofs. The structure was nearly as tall as the Gryffindor Tower in Hogwarts. It had a tall spire, with a flag waving on it. It was surrounded by Nine buildings which fanned out in a semi circular path, similar in structure to the large fortress, but shorter. The walkway broke out into several different paths behind and the grounds continued behind the buildings. There were several other buildings and enclosures behind these ones, but Albus couldn't make out much from afar. Dal Mahal didn't hold a candle to this, he thought. This was magnificent. He turned to his companions, who were enjoying his dumbstruck expression. Dara stepped forward, and with a great show of her hands, said grandly,

"Albus Severus Potter. I give you, Nalanda Vishwavidyalaya."

* * *

P.S. Someone had asked me how to pronounce the names, so here is a guide:  
Liya- Le-Ya, similar to Layer  
Dara- Da(like the Da of Dart) and Ra(like the R of round)  
Yusef-Similar to how its written.  
Nisakhi-Ni-Sha-Kee,with the Ni pronounced as the Ni of Nine,and the rest are the same as they are written.

Reviews are always appreciated. Any suggestions are welcome, and my PMs are always open :).


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